Gukesh's Mental Approach at Tata Steel Chess Tournament-'Business as Usual' Despite Former Seconds

The Tata Steel Chess Tournament, happening in the Netherlands, is widely known as the "Wimbledon of Chess" and is focusing a lot on its participants, particularly Gukesh. Currently at 18 years old, Gukesh has been continuously wowing crowds across the globe since he joined the list recently as the youngest chess player to play in the World Chess Championship after emerging victorious against Ding Liren of Singapore.

Gukesh has a reason to feel especially elated as it marks the occasion when he gets to face his former seconds-Vincent Keymer and Pentala Harikrishna-for whom he specially prepared to take on World Chess Championship a month ago. Both these grandmasters were key individuals behind Gukesh's ascension into stardom and challenge him at some stage in this event. Gukesh will face Vincent Keymer in Round 5 on Wednesday and Pentala Harikrishna in Round 7 on Saturday.

But these high-profile matches haven't shaken Gukesh out of his composure and focus. Asked if these games would be special, the teenager replied, "Once I get to the board, in general, I don't really care about the opponent, whether it's a good friend or anyone.". It will be business as usual.". His answer is another indication of evenhandedness against his opponents and indicates that this does not and should not bear upon his plans of play in any way upon the chessboard. He still claimed to enjoy his good relations with Keymer and Harikrishna, to whom he felt that he owed thanks for being let in behind the scenes. Again, bottom line, he kept repeating that, bottom line, it boils down to playing good chess.

Oddly, the very same Gukesh who will now face two of his trusted seconds will, for the first time in his entire chess career, have no trainer present at this tournament long-term. Fortunately, Gukesh's trainer since very early days, Grzegorz Gajewski, was able to provide some guidance, although remotely, that should help support Gukesh through this exciting experience.

Gukesh arrived in Wijk aan Zee just hours before his first round, as he had been delayed from New Delhi, where he had been awarded the prestigious Khel Ratna. Gukesh adapted to the tournament environment very well, even though he admitted to feeling a bit tired on the first day. He mentioned that after some much-needed rest, he was ready to dive into the competition fully. He was here for a couple of months also in Delhi that helped him adapt to the climatic conditions in the Netherlands that are much chillier and therefore, he physically prepared himself well enough for the championship.

Another major difference that may be noticed while comparing Gukesh's preparations at the World Chess Championship with Tata Steel is that in Singapore, he was given months for preparation time as well as some strategy against the opponent, which was Ding Liren. He wanted the games to be long as possible within the championship time, so at no point could he feel lost in the loss.

A pretty long preparation allowed Gukesh enough time for analyzing his opponents' plans and thus developing a strategic response.

Of course, that is not like Tata Steel at all. Now there are 14 players in the master field-which makes fight extremely tough - and the event requires a bit of a different approach. The priority of Gukesh in Tata Steel was to report on each game feeling upbeat and positive, and thus, play sound chess. Being that the games go by fast, there really is no significant amount of preparation versus every player, which has led him to focus rather more on how he feels within rather than a real plan. His mind is clear: he must come to the board with a good mood to be successful at this event.

At such a tender age, Gukesh's ability to change his strategies and maintain a good level of performance at such a grand tournament speaks volumes for his maturity and skill. He has won much respect not only from his peers but also from chess fans across the globe by being unflappable with confidence and being very calm while facing stiff competition.

As the Tata Steel tournament progresses, Gukesh’s attitude towards his games—whether against former seconds or fellow competitors—remains steadfast. For him, it’s all about playing the best chess he can, no matter who sits across the board. The tournament will undoubtedly serve as another stepping stone in his promising career, and fans can look forward to seeing how Gukesh continues to evolve as a top contender in the world of chess.