World Champion D Gukesh, currently placed tenth in the FIDE world rankings, has had a turbulent 2025 season. His reputation soared after his victory over Ding Liren in last year’s World Championship, a triumph that pushed him to a career high ranking of world number three in February. Since then, however, his form has fluctuated, with only occasional standout performances such as his memorable wins over Magnus Carlsen.
For any leading chess professional, reaching the top of the FIDE rankings is the ultimate milestone, and Gukesh is no exception. Carlsen continues to dominate the global standings and has held the number one spot for more than fourteen years. When a fan recently asked Gukesh on X about his ambition to reach that position himself, he responded that he intends to give everything he has in pursuit of it and would be satisfied knowing he gave his best, regardless of the final outcome.
Gukesh has another dream lined up as well. He hopes to challenge fellow Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa at the next World Championship. For that match to become a reality, Gukesh must first succeed at the Candidates tournament in 2026, where Praggnanandhaa has already secured a place by winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit.
The road to the Candidates has attracted controversy this year, mainly because of Hikaru Nakamura’s qualification path. FIDE reserved one slot for the highest rated player who also fulfils a mandatory minimum of forty classical games during the eligibility period. Carlsen publicly stated he would not participate in the Candidates, leaving Nakamura as the next in line. To meet the game requirement, the American grandmaster entered a series of smaller events across North America.
Carlsen criticised FIDE’s rule during an appearance at the Freestyle Chess event in South Africa. He questioned why one of the world’s strongest players should be compelled to enter tournaments he would not normally play in simply to satisfy an administrative requirement. In his view, the system should focus on ensuring that the highest calibre players appear in the Candidates, and Nakamura clearly belongs in that group.
