World Champion D Gukesh apologised to fans for ignoring them during the Prague Chess Masters 2026, admitting frustration over his poor results as he continues to search for his first win in the tournament.
“I’d Like To Apologise..." — D Gukesh Apologises to Fans Amid Tough Run at Prague Chess Masters 2026 | IMAGE SOURCE - Instagram/@chessbaseindia
World Champion D Gukesh has been going through a rough patch in his career. The Indian grand master has been hunting for a win since the start of this year. There were high expectations from Gukesh when he entered the Prague Chess Masters 2026; however, he has had a disappointing run in the ongoing tournament.
In his latest outing, Gukesh had yet another disappointing match after Iran’s Parham Maghsoodloo forced him to a draw in round seven.
With only two rounds left, Gukesh is at the bottom of the standings with two points. He has drawn four games and lost three so far, and may need to rethink parts of his game.
Meanwhile, after a disappointing run at the Prague Chess Masters 2026, the 19-year-old admitted that the frustration had been building. He also said he felt the need to apologise to fans for one thing in particular — brushing them off.
Speaking to Keti Tsatsalashvili during the tournament, Gukesh said his tough results have affected his mood and the way he has interacted with supporters.
“I’d like to apologise to the fans. Their support means a lot to me," he said.
“I really appreciate all the fans coming here almost every day. I’m just sorry about one thing. Obviously, this tournament has been tough for me and on some days, I just want to be left alone."
The reigning world champion also said that he normally takes time to sign autographs and take photos with fans, but admitted that things have been a little different during the tournament in Prague.
“I generally make sure that I sign autographs and take photographs with fans. But here, in general, I’ve just not been in a great mood. So I’d like to apologise."
On the board, things haven’t gone well either.
“I have been playing badly here," Gukesh admitted bluntly. “The couple of chances I got, I didn’t use. What to say… bad tournament."
After seven rounds in Prague, Gukesh is still searching for his first win and sits at the bottom of the standings with two points following a draw against Parham Maghsoodloo.
The tough run has also seen him slip to World No. 20 in the live ratings after winning the World Chess Championship 2024.
Round 7 Results
Masters: Parham Maghsoodloo (Iran, 3.5) drew with D Gukesh (India, 2). Aravindh Chithambaram (India, 3) also played out a draw against Nodirbek Yakubboev (Uzbekistan, 3). Vincent Keymer (Germany, 3.5) defeated David Anton Guijarro (Spain, 3.5). Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan, 4.5) drew with Jorden van Foreest (Netherlands, 5). David Navara (Czech Republic, 4.5) shared the points with Hans Moke Niemann (USA, 2.5).
Challengers: Thomas Beerdsen (Netherlands, 3.5) lost to Daniil Yuffa (Spain, 4). Surya Shekhar Ganguly (India, 2.5) beat Jiner Zhu (China, 2). Finek Vanclav (Czech Republic, 5) drew with Benjamin Gledura (Hungary, 3.5). Nemec Jachym (Czech Republic, 4) defeated Hrbek Stepan (Czech Republic, 3.5). Jonas Bjerre Buhl (Denmark, 3.5) drew with Divya Deshmukh (India, 3.5).
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