Gukesh's Chess Slump: Can the World Champion Make a Comeback?
Image Source: Internet
The 19-year-old D. Gukesh, the current World Chess Champion, has been struggling lately. At the 2026 Prague Masters, he showed visible signs of mental fatigue, leaving the table without resetting his pieces after a loss to fellow countryman Aravindh Chithambaram.
Gukesh's recent outing at the 2026 Prague International Chess Festival was a stark indicator of his current struggles, where he finished joint last in the 10-player field. His scorecard was uncharacteristic, with three defeats, five draws, and only a single win.
Over recent months, Gukesh has tanked nearly 70 rating points, dropping from a peak of 2794 to 2732. This slide has moved him down to World No. 15.
The chess elite are monitoring this turbulence closely, with World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana calling the slump "concerning" given the approaching World Championship match.
However, Gukesh is not giving up. He is prioritizing mental clarity by working with renowned conditioning coach Paddy Upton and managing his grueling schedule. The World Chess Championship format offers a unique advantage, allowing him to enter a dedicated training camp to tailor his preparation specifically to one challenger.
With his next major test at Norway Chess in May 2026, a vital milestone on his road to redemption, Gukesh is more than capable of proving doubters wrong. If he resets his mental fatigue and leans on his signature defensive resilience, he can make a comeback and reclaim his title.
