Chess World Championship: Gukesh has not hit his peak yet, will have amazing future, says Susan Polgar | Chess News

With the World Championship reaching its finale, Grandmaster Susan Polgar heaped praise on Indian challenger D Gukesh, saying the Indian challenger has ‘not hit his peak chess potential yet’ and ‘he will have an amazing future, no matter the results of this match’.
Polgar’s comments came on the morning of Game 13 following a humbling defeat for Gukesh at the hands of reigning champion Ding Liren in Game 12 of the World Championship.
Chess legends have been unsparing on the quality of the ongoing title match, with Magnus Carlsen commenting that it looks like the ‘second or third round of an open tournament’.
Taking to X on Wednesday, Polgar praised the 18-year-old Indian, saying Gukesh is ‘always polite, conducts himself professionally, and very receptive to take in new information (a very important trait for a young player)’.
“Shortly after he became a grandmaster, I saw something very special in his game, approach to chess, and demeanor. He has the important intangibles rarely seen in young players this age,” she wrote.
Polgar added: “That’s why I said all the way back then that I believe he will go the furthest among the current crop of young and extremely talented Indian prodigies. Some thought I was crazy for saying that. But here we are, a few days before a possible horic moment.
Gukesh still has NOT hit his peak chess potential yet. Some small tweaks in a few key areas and he can dominate for years to come. He will have an amazing future, no matter the results of this match!”
Polgar’s comments came after she showered praise on Ding, who came back strongly in the 12th game to level the score 6-6. “Someone please report brutality on the board! Where has this Ding been in the last 2 years?” she wrote, adding that the Chinese world champion had played his best game in the past two years on Sunday.
After a rest day on Tuesday, Gukesh and Ding will renew their rivalry on Wednesday, the penultimate game of the championship.