India Grandmaster Gukesh hoping to ‘discuss chess’ with teammate Magnus Carlsen in Global Chess League

It’s been a heady two-week stretch for Gukesh D, India’s second highest-rated grandmaster at the moment behind Viswanathan Anand. Barely three days after he held World No.1 Magnus Carlsen to a draw in the fourth round of the prestigious Norway Chess event in Stavanger, he learnt the news that he would be a part of the SG Alpine Warriors team along with Carlsen in the inaugural season of the Global Chess League.While he was elated at the prospect of sharing a team with the man who was until recently the world champion, Gukesh kept his composure and soldiered on, eventually finishing a remarkable third in the tournament.“I was aware that we were drafted on the same GCL team during the Norway tournament. But I’m not sure if he was even aware of what team he had been drafted in. We didn’t really discuss it because we were caught up in the tournament,” Gukesh tells The Indian Express.

Brace yourselves!@SGAlpineWarrior are ready to unleash their fury at #GlobalChessLeague. #GCL starts on 21st June 2023. #SGAlpineWarriors #TheBigMove @tech_mahindra @DubaiSC @FIDE_chess pic.twitter.com/v7QExbjDVP
— Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) June 16, 2023
“I’m hoping to learn from him at the GCL. Maybe we can discuss games afterwards and as a team we can maybe even work together a bit (on strategy and chess tactics). I’m just hoping to discuss chess with Magnus. I have not gotten much experience of doing that with him. So I’m looking forward to that,” said the Chennai-based GM, who admitted: “Of course, I don’t know how it’s going to be… whether we’re going to work together or we’ll work as individuals. But I’m hoping to learn as much as possible from him.
The GCL, which begins from June 21, is a one-of-its-kind league with global superstars such as Carlsen, reigning world champion Ding Liren, Viswanathan Anand, Ian Nepomniachtchi and the world’s top-ranked female player, GM Hou Yifan participating. Also in the mix are some of the biggest names from India like Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Nihal Sarin, Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli and Raunak Sadhwani.
Joining Gukesh and Carlsen in the SG Alpine Warriors team will be two more teen GMs from India:Praggnanandhaa and Erigaisi. Elisabeth Paehtz and Irina Krush will complete the six-player team. For the three Indian youngsters, the tournament could be an opportunity to pick the brains of the world’s best that would otherwise not be possible in the uber-competitive world of regular chess tournaments.“Personally I very much enjoy team events. It is something I always look forward to. I am looking forward to meeting the other players in the team, and I look forward to competing with and against the exciting young generation of Indian players,” Carlsen had said in a GCL press release before the draft. “I think India is doing a lot of right things so far, and it is a matter of time before it is clearly the leading chess nation in the world.”

More prepared than ever 😤@MagnusCarlsen is all fired up 🔥#GCL #GlobalChessLeague #MadeOfSteel #SGAlpineWarriors #TheBigMove #MagnusCarlsen@GCLlive @jagdishmitra @aplapollo_tubes pic.twitter.com/SjCN3Tde2x
— SG Alpine Warriors (@SGAlpineWarrior) June 13, 2023
‘Frenemies’ become teammates
One of things that had led players like Carlsen to make bold predictions about India becoming “the leading chess nation in the world” is the dazzlingly promising crop of teenage GMs who have emerged including Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi and Sarin.
Gukesh said the quartet of players are friends, while also feeding off on the healthy rivalry.
“All of us appreciate the friendship and rivalry equally. We try to fight it out on the board. But after the game, we hang out, we have fun. We’re like frenemies,” smiled Gukesh, who currently has a live rating of 2744, which places him 13th in the world. Arjun is at 2710 while Praggnanandhaa (2690) and Sarin (2687) are knocking on the doors of the 2700 club.

From calculated moves to breathtaking endgames, @SGAlpineWarrior are here to dominate the league. #GlobalChessLeague starts on 21st June 2023. #GCL #TheBigMove pic.twitter.com/jbKiBIKDCs
— Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (@GCLlive) June 13, 2023
When Gukesh speaks of hanging out and having fun with the other young Indian players on tour, he means the card games that the players catch up for when their schedules allow them.
“We sometimes discuss chess. But mostly we play card games or go to some sports events. We used to love Avalon (a role-playing game which markets itself as a card game involving deception, deduction, and secret identities). Now we play bluff card games like Moroccan bluff,” he said. “Mostly, we have all the fun on the last day of any tournament.”
Given how competitive each of the players are, you wonder who has the best rating in these friendly card games.
“Nihal is quite good. I’m not very good at card games. But sometimes I do manage to win,” chuckled Gukesh.