Gukesh on threshold of history

I have blown it”. “I know what it does to you. so it hough tl et me goto him and try and cheer him up,” Anand told The Indian Express last year. But Anand soon realised that the teenager was in good spirit sand the two ended up playing table tennis. Anand’s concerns were unfounded, he didn't need to console the teenager.

Exactly 10 days ago,Guke sh experienced another such ego-bruisingdefeat. he was insight of victory against Firouzja in Round 7, when suddenly he found himself sinking in the quick sand of time trouble. In the matter of a few dizzying minutes, what looked like a sure-fire win, turned into demoralising defeat.

It was one of those moments where insult came hand in hand with injury. The setback denied Gukesh the chance to be the sole leader at the halfway point. right after his defeat was confirmed, Gukesh looked shattered. He sat at the table, face buried in his palms trying to process how he had lost.

But he soon gathered himself and made himself available for a match post-mortem that players are mandated to do for the world. Like he has for theres to ft he to urn ament,Guke sh looked measured as he analysed what had gone wrong even as his opponent giggled while recounting how bad a game he had played, and survived with a victory.

For a teenager playing at the biggest stage of his career, this could have been ad em or ali sing defeat but Gukesh has gone undefeated since that result. “You could see the disappointment in Gukesh’s reaction and on his face (after losing to Alireza in Round 7). But the game wasn’ t that overwh elm ing.guke sh took it in stride and got on with the next game,” Anand said.

Now for one more time,guke sh needs to play the next game just right. If he wins on Monday, he will make history. “Almost anything a 17-year-old does at the Candidates is pretty historic ,” said an and before adding: “More on that after the round tonight.”