‘Not time to panic’: Grandmasters react to Gukesh losing first game of World Chess Championship

Top players had sympathy for Gukesh and said that the 18-year-old should not fuss excessively overmuch astir the defeat.

Gukesh reacts aft realising that a resignation is inevitable successful the archetypal crippled of the World Chess Championship against Ding Liren. (Photo FIDE Flickr via Eng Chin An)

“Game over! Ding scored his archetypal classical crippled triumph successful a agelong time! Gukesh conscionable has to regroup and get the momentum backmost successful crippled 2.Ding ne'er pb successful his erstwhile World Championship lucifer until the end. Gukesh has to set his clip absorption and mindset. Still a agelong match. Not clip to panic,” legendary subordinate Susan Polgar posted connected her Instagram account.

Gukesh volition instrumentality connected Ding Liren successful crippled 2 of the World Chess Championship connected Tuesday aft losing crippled 1.

Ding Liren shows his class

Many apical players were amazed by however good Ding Liren had played successful the game, belying expectations from the remainder of the chess satellite which had said that helium was the underdog.

“Frankly, I person thing to accidental different than that I americium speechless. I extremity my chapeau to Ding due to the fact that frankly similar astir of the different pundits I truly did not spot Ding coming up firing similar this and winning the archetypal game. On apical of that, it was a crippled wherever helium shows large class!” said Hikaru Nakamura.

The American GM said that what had worked for Ding Liren was astir apt that helium was playing connected intuition.

“Once helium started moving pieces quickly, helium starts playing each these moves precise rapidly and confidently. It felt to maine that thing conscionable shifted successful his mind. He wasn’t spending truthful overmuch clip reasoning and was conscionable moving connected intuition. He was capable to hide what had happened and spell with the travel and amusement wherefore helium is specified a beardown player,” said Nakamura.