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A storm swept through the FIDE World Cup in Goa on Saturday — and it wasn’t from the sea. In what was a huge upset, reigning world champion D Gukesh was knocked out in the third round by Germany’s Frederik Svane, ranked 85th. Playing with white pieces and needing only a draw to force a tiebreak, Gukesh looked poised to advance. Instead, he faltered in a tense middlegame, allowing the 21-year-old Svane to seize the initiative and convert brilliantly. The result sent shockwaves through the tournament and the wider chess community — a 19-year-old world champion undone by a relative outsider. Gukesh entered the event under pressure. After his stunning world title win last year, his performances in 2025 have been uneven. He has struggled to find rhythm, drawing two of his three earlier games in the competition. This defeat, his second in recent months against a significantly lower-rated player, could see him slip out of the world’s top 10 once again — a symbolic blow for the prodigy once hailed as India’s new chess messiah. While critics have begun questioning his champion credentials, most observers believe Gukesh’s struggles reflect the immense psychological and physical toll of elite chess. Since his World Championship triumph, he has faced relentless scrutiny and towering expectations, while balancing an exhausting travel and tournament schedule. Fatigue and the pressure of constant performance may be catching up to him. “This is part of the journey,” said one Indian chess official. “Even the best stumble — what matters is how he rebuilds.” Elsewhere, Indian fans found solace in other results. P Harikrishna and V Pranav cruised into the last 32 with confident wins, while Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa also advanced. But Gukesh’s early exit overshadowed all — a sobering reminder that the road from prodigy to enduring greatness is never smooth. (with agency inputs)
