Gukesh’s Twitter AMA: 10 Highlights
World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju fielded questions on Twitter on Friday, in an “Ask Me Anything” in partnership with the Global Chess League. He answered quite a few, so here are some of the highlights (light editing for clarity).
1. Of the 8 Candidates, who would you want to play in the 2026 World Championship?
A very direct answer: “Pragg!”
2. If you would not have been a chess player what profession would you have been in?
“Probably an individual sport like tennis or badminton!”
3. Do your parents ask you to complete your graduation?
“Till a couple of years back, yes, but then Mom gave up hopes. 😂”
4. How did you master the endgame?
“I think nobody has mastered the endgame but I have been pretty good at it.” He later answered a question on the most underrated skill in chess with “Maybe endgames? Not sure.”
5. Is intuition your secret weapon, or does calculation rule your decisions on the board?
“I think both work together for every decision. Some players trust one more than the other; I have had a history of calculating more!”
6. Has playing with engines every day made you more creative or has it sometimes killed your natural imagination?
“Training with computers has benefits and drawbacks. You learn a lot of new concepts and it makes work easier but if it crosses the line it can kill some of the creativity.”
7. Which game from your past still teaches you something today?
“I think all the games leave a lesson but one that strikes me the most is Round 7 against Alireza in the Candidates.” That was the one where Gukesh had been doing well as Black, but then collapsed as the clocks ran down and lost. He responded by scoring three wins and four draws in the second half of the tournament to win!
8. Do you think you will be world no. 1?
“I know I will give my absolute best for it but whether or not it happens I would be happy with the effort I put in. 😃”
9. On average, how many hours does your chess training go on for? And does this change depending on whether you have a game that day?
“On a normal day around 6 hours but if I have a game that day for sure it’s less because playing itself takes a few hours and I need energy for that.”
10. Are you surprised with the list of Candidates this year?
“I think there is nothing to be surprised about. All of them got a chance and made the most of it, and that is what sport is. You can’t say “I’m stronger so I deserve to be there,” you need to show up and perform and all the guys there did that!
I am working on improving myself now!”
Photo via Tata Steel Chess 2025
