Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh expressed his determination to focus on one game at a time as he strives to become the youngest World Chess Champion.
The 18-year-old is currently competing against reigning champion Ding Liren of China in the World Chess Championship.
led to a loss in the first game, while playing with black pieces. Despite Liren having the advantage with white, he found limited opportunities, resulting in a shared point.
“Today was a good day, and hopefully, we will have many more good days coming,” Gukesh said at the end of the second game, as quoted by PTI.
Gukesh credited his second, Grzegorz Gajewski, for his invaluable support in this high-stakes tournament.
“‘Gaju’ (Gajewski) is not only helping me with chess, but also helping me get ready mentally and to keep my well-being. He said a few things which helped me recover quickly,” Gukesh said of the Polish GM.
He also acknowledged the privilege and responsibility of representing India on the world stage, embracing the pressure as part of the journey.
“There is obviously some pressure for anyone playing in a World Championship; there is a lot of pressure. But I also see it as a privilege that I can represent so many people and my country.
“And yeah, it would be a very nice achievement, obviously, if I win the match. I am just focusing on one game at a time. Hopefully, things go my way,” he said after the second round.
With this recovery, Gukesh remains optimistic about his performance, hoping for more successful days ahead in his pursuit of the title.
“Draw with black in the world championship match is always nice and it’s too early, we still have a long match,” the Chennai-based GM said in the post-game press conference.
“I think after I was surprised in the opening, I reacted pretty decently, and I didn’t give him any chances. It was a solid game with black, which is nice.
“I have seen a lot of world championship matches with players playing inside a cube, luckily, I am playing and not watching it.
“I think I will try to play a good game, because after all the only thing you can do to win is to play a good game,” he added.
The third game of the Chess World Championship final will take place on Wednesday, November 27.