Gukesh Dommaraju, the youngest world chess champion, shocked fans with a rare Titled Tuesday appearance. The 18-year-old, known for his classical chess prowess, competed in the online blitz event hosted by Chess.com. Despite his skill, Gukesh finished 18th, winning eight of 11 games. His participation in this fast-paced format, where he typically excels less, sparked excitement among chess enthusiasts. This article dives into his performance, key moments, and why his Titled Tuesday entry was so unexpected.
Gukesh: Rare Blitz Outing
Gukesh’s Titled Tuesday appearance was a rare treat for fans. The weekly Chess.com tournament, featuring a $1,000 prize, uses a Swiss format with a 3-minute-per-player time control and a 1-second increment. Elite players like Hikaru Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen often dominate, but Gukesh rarely joins. “He has played this event before, but it’s very rare to see him play,” Nakamura noted in his YouTube recap. Gukesh’s preference for classical chess, where he calculates deeply, makes his blitz outings noteworthy. His last Titled Tuesday appearance, months ago, saw him narrowly miss the title due to tiebreaks against Javokhir Sindarov.
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Key Matches and Challenges
Gukesh secured eight wins, including victories over strong grandmasters Jan-Krzysztof Duda and Alexey Sarana, the latter a key second during his world championship win. However, losses to IM LR Srihari, Parham Maghsoodloo, and Nakamura halted his run.
Analyzing their game, Nakamura said, “When I played bishop to f8, I was basically asking Gukesh what he was going to do? Here Gukesh spends almost one minute before playing bishop to b4.” This time loss put Gukesh on the backfoot, highlighting his methodical style’s clash with blitz’s demands. Nakamura, leveraging intuition, won his 105th Titled Tuesday title.
Why Gukesh’s Appearance Matters
Participation of Gukesh in the blitz Titled Tuesday underscores his willingness to challenge himself. His recent third-place finish at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia tournament, with only four wins in 18 rounds, reinforces his blitz struggles. His appearance boosts the event’s prestige, drawing attention to Chess.com’s platform. For aspiring players, Gukesh’s bold move inspires stepping out of comfort zones, even for a champion.
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