Overview

• Garry Kasparov said Gukesh “won fair and square” but argued you can “hardly call him the strongest player in the world,” describing the current title as “very different.”
• Kasparov offered an apology for the blunt tone yet reiterated that Gukesh’s crown is not the same as titles held by Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov, or Carlsen.
• Susan Polgar publicly countered on X that Gukesh is a “DESERVING World Classical Champion,” noting it was not his fault Carlsen walked away and invoking the Fischer precedent.
• Kasparov’s remarks came during live Round 5 coverage of the Sinquefield Cup, where he also cited Gukesh’s Round 1 loss to Praggnanandhaa as part of his critique.
• Gukesh, who became the youngest world champion at 18 by defeating Ding Liren in Singapore in 2024, has since beaten Carlsen in classical at Norway Chess and in rapid in Zagreb.