Fabiano Caruana on 18-year-old World Champion Gukesh resigning after 18 moves: ‘I wouldn’t do it quite so early’ | Chess News

Fabiano Caruana has taken a jibe against old World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. The 18-year- resigned after just 18 moves in the second game of the quarter-finals against Fabiano Caruana at the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.
Caruana called this quick and smooth win was a “symptom of the match situation.”
“I was really calm before the game because I didn’t see this as a particularly challenging for the white side in my current situation,” Caruana was quoted Freestyle Chess.
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He added: “I think it really comes down to yesterday. The game today was typical for someone who is trying to create chances to win but doing it a bit too early on. It was too violent an approach, 5…f5, it’s probably not gonna work out. It would be very unusual that you can sac a pawn so directly.”
On Gukesh’s early resignation, Caruana commented: “I didn’t expect it exactly at that moment but I also didn’t understand what he could possibly do. I would consider resigning as Black although maybe I wouldn’t do it quite so early.”
Chess legend Judit Polgar pointed out that this particular starting position was somewhat unfortunate for a player with the black pieces who needs to win their games: “It was clear from the beginning that the opening favors White, especially if he needs to make a draw. There seems to be no danger really for White. There were no pieces that needed to be recovered from crazy squares. (…) It was kind of much easier for White to stabilize the position.”
Gukesh is still winless at Weissenhaus. He lost to Alireza Firouzja and Magnus Carlsen in the rapid section to decide the seeding for the knockout phase. He just about snuck into the quarter-finals in 8th spot. And then, has lost both his games so far to Caruana in the classical format.