It does not matter if Ding Liren is struggling for form or is at his best, D Gukesh knows he needs to be the “best version of himself ” in every game against the Chinese during the World Chess Championship clash, starting Monday. While Gukesh has been in fine touch, Liren has struggled in the lead-up to the prestigious event. “For me, it’s pretty clear who I’m going to face. I’m going to face Ding Liren, who has been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade,” said Gukesh, who will play with whites in the opening game, said at the pre-tournament press conference.

“My job is also pretty clear—just go into every game as the best version of myself and play the best moves in the position. If I do that, if I keep playing good chess and stay in the right spirits, even with his recent form dip or even at his best, I don’t think it really matters.

“If I do the right things, I’m confident I have all the chances in the world,” he added.

This year’s tournament marks the first time in 138 years that two Asian players will pitted against each other in the World Chess Championship, that is offering a prize fund of USD 2.5 million.

“It’s an honour and privilege to play for India in any event, especially something as significant as the World Championship. Representing my country and carrying the hopes of Indians is something I take very seriously,” Gukesh said.

Acknowledging the nerves ahead of the big event, the 18-year-old from Chennai said, “I won’t say I’m super calm. I know this is a big event, and I’m super excited. But I also know I can handle any nerves. As long as I’m confident in my skills, I don’t have anything to worry about.”

Preparation and coach’s influence

Gukesh revealed he has been focused on the championship since qualifying.

“Since the moment I qualified for the match, it has been the main thing on my mind. Me and my team, we prepared in the best way possible.

“My trainer is here with me and all my other team members. I think we all did a great job. I’m super happy with my preparation. Now it’s all about doing the right things and using that preparation.” Paying a glowing tribute to his coach Grzegorz Gajewski, Gukesh said, “We started working together in December 2022. Initially, it was on a tournament basis, but we had some great experiences and decided to partner full-time.” “He’s had a huge influence on me, especially in broadening my approach to chess. I was a very narrow-minded chess player. He opened me up to many different approaches and ideas.

“My openings and other aspects of the game have improved a lot over the last couple of years. Other than my parents, he is simply the biggest influence on my chess.” He also emphasized the role of fitness in his preparation.

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“I always like to do some physical exercise. Specially for World Championships, I have been working with Paddy Upton, who has helped me with my fitness. I played some sports regularly, did some yoga, some workouts, so happy with everything.” World Number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway had said in the past that he doesn’t enjoy the months of preparation required for the world chess championship.

Asked if he enjoyed the preparation process, Gukesh said, “Magnus Carlsen has been doing this for close to 10 years, but this is my first World Championship. It’s all new for me, so it’s easier to enjoy and be excited. I love chess, and I’ve learned so much over the last few months.” “For sure there has to be some hard work done, but I love chess, I’m learning something new, I’ve learned a lot of things in these last months and I’m very happy with the preparations, and I was also able to enjoy it very much.”

Liren on his form and the challenge

Acknowledging his recent struggles, Liren said he is reviewing his recent performances to have best preparation for the clash.

“Yesterday I reviewed my games from recent times. The quality was not so good. I can see very low. Also, my fighting spirit is not so high.” “I made many short draws. I also drew even winning some much better positions. I don’t know if that is the reason behind it. But it’s not far from my peak performance.

“I intend to review some of my best games to regain some experience, to see how I can be such a strong player. It’s here. I think I need to find this kind of confidence and also the fighting spirit to perform better.” On facing Gukesh, Liren remarked, “Last time I played against Nepu (Ian Nepomniachtchi), he was older than me. But here, I am the older one, and I have more experience than him. He is younger, but he displayed his virtue in many aspects. If we can both perform our best, it will be a great match.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)