Prague, February 25 World Champion D Gukesh has unequivocally stated that the issues surrounding cheating in chess are being made much larger than they actually are.
Speaking during a press conference for the Prague International festival, Gukesh said he did not support Vladimir Kramnik, a former world champion who has been making accusations against several chess players, suspecting cheating during online games.
“Obviously, I am against any kind of unfair or unethical play," Gukesh said. "It is a problem that we have been seeing lately."
The entire world had mourned the death of Grandmaster Daniel Naroditsky of the United States, who died at a young age of just 29. Naroditsky was a famous chess content creator who appeared to be very emotional in his last stream just days before his untimely death.
Gukesh is not the only one to join the chorus, as earlier World number one Magnus Carlsen, FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, and Indian stars Arjun Erigaisi and Nihal Sarin had also criticised Kramnik, as his allegations could not be substantiated with any definitive proof.
Speaking about the upcoming Candidates Tournament, Gukesh said he did not believe in favourites and that he would love to play his fellow city-mate, R Praggnanandhaa.
Meanwhile, in the first round of the super tournament, Gukesh will face Hans Moke Niemann of the United States, another player who has made it to the top level of chess. Niemann is a formidable opponent, and Gukesh likes to employ complex strategies, which ensures a competitive start for the World Champion.
The other Indian in the fray, Aravindh Chithambaram, will take on Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan, a recent winner of the Tata Steel Masters.
