Fabiano Caruana has defended D Gukesh amid the young Indian grandmaster’s recent struggles, saying the 19-year-old remains a top player despite a slump in form. Caruana also highlighted the long-term potential of Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi in world chess.
"A Few Bad Months Don't.... — Fabiano Caruana Backs Gukesh Amid Horror Form | Image Source - Instagram/@chessbaseindia & fide_chess
India’s star Grand Master D Gukesh has been under plenty of pressure ever since he became the World Champion. His form has become a matter of concern, and the opponents are now more excited than ever to face him. The Indian GM has now dropped to world No. 20 in the live chess rankings after losing to Aravindh Chithambaram.
Gukesh resigned in his sixth-round game against Aravindh, and the loss pushed his ranking down even further. He also sits at the bottom of the Prague International Chess Festival standings. After six rounds, the 19-year-old has lost three games and drawn three, costing him 19 rating points.
D Gukesh has been receiving criticism from all corners for his recent form. However, Fabiano Caruana has come to D Gukesh’s defence amid the reigning world champion’s recent struggles, saying the 19-year-old Indian star remains a “top player regardless of a few bad months.”
D Gukesh made history in 2024 by becoming the youngest winner of the Candidates Tournament and the youngest world champion ever. He also came close to winning the prestigious Tata Steel Chess tournament in early 2025.
Since then, Gukesh’s form has struggled, especially in the second half of 2025. He lost three games in a row at the FIDE Grand Swiss in Samarkand and had a disappointing performance at the FIDE World Cup in Goa. In the Prague Chess Masters 2026, he has yet to win after seven rounds, with three losses and four draws.
World No 3 Fabiano Caruana says that Gukesh’s recent dip, along with the struggles of fellow Indian players R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi, is worrying but shouldn’t be overanalyzed.
He said, “It can’t feel nice to be playing poorly, but I still consider him (Gukesh) a very top player regardless of a few bad months. Perhaps the last year has definitely not been great for him, but I don’t doubt his quality.”
Interestingly, Fabiano Caruana will be next seen competing at the upcoming Candidates Tournament alongside Praggnanandhaa to earn a chance to challenge Gukesh for his world title.
Caruana also stressed that Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun are likely to remain at the top for years to come.
“In particular for Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun, I think they’ll be top players for many years or decades to come, so I don’t read too much into it. For Gukesh, it’s, of course, concerning because he does have this really important event at the end of the year (the World Chess Championship). He’s the only person in the world guaranteed to play in that event at the moment,” Caruana said in a conversation with Maurice Ashley during the American Cup 2026.
“It’s a bit of a small sample size. It’s a short time period and they’re all very young. I think everyone’s thinking about Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Arjun Erigaisi, who had really great years. For example, Praggnanandhaa won a lot of tournaments in 2025. Arjun and Gukesh, in particular, were playing phenomenally in 2024, with Gukesh being the best player in the world that year.”
