Reigning world chess champion D. Gukesh announced he will participate only in the rapid and blitz tournaments in Warsaw and Zagreb during the 2026 Grand Chess Tour. Citing recent poor form, the 19-year-old Indian grandmaster plans to skip longer events away from home to focus on training. Grand Chess Tour organizers approved his request and named Javokhir Sindarov as his replacement for the full tour.
D. Gukesh, who became the youngest world chess champion in 2024 by defeating Ding Liren, shared his decision on social media on March 31. “My performance in the last few events has been quite disappointing, not just for me, but for all of you who support me,” Gukesh said. “In order to find my best form, my team and I have decided that I should compete with slightly less intensity over the next few months. Consequently, we feel it is in my best interest to skip long events away from home to allow for more dedicated training time.” He added that he approached Grand Chess Tour organizers, who agreed to his participation solely in the Warsaw rapid and blitz event from May 3-10 and the Zagreb event from June 29 to July 6. Gukesh expressed gratitude for their support and plans to return for the full tour in the future, while preparing for his World Chess Championship defense, the details of which remain unannounced by FIDE. Gukesh's form has declined sharply since his 2024 triumphs, including leading India to Chess Olympiad gold. In 2025, he won no tournaments and exited the FIDE World Cup in the third round. This year, he placed 10th at the Tata Steel Chess tournament and joint-last at the Prague Masters. The Grand Chess Tour announced Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, the reigning FIDE World Cup champion, as a full tour participant, competing in Warsaw, Bucharest, and Saint Louis events. Alex Onischuk, GCT deputy executive director, stated, “We respect Gukesh’s decision and welcome his participation in the Rapid & Blitz events in Warsaw and Zagreb. At the same time, we’re excited to have Javokhir Sindarov join the full Tour.”