Nakamura sounds alarm on Gukesh's Norway Chess 'disaster' before world championship showdown: 'This is horrible news'

Hikaru Nakamura flagged concerns about Indian chess GM D Gukesh's performance at Norway Chess 2026, calling it a complete disaster.

Reigning world champion Gukesh will face a challenge for the World Chess Championship, with Javokhir Sindarov set to contest the title after earning his spot by winning the 2026 Candidates Tournament.

Nakamura concerned over Gukesh's performance

Nakamura highlighted that Gukesh's recent performance at Norway Chess was a major setback, calling it an absolute disaster and pointed out that the Indian GM dropped to 27 in the World rankings.

He further noted that the situation is troubling for Gukesh, raising concerns about how he will fix the issues before crucial events, such as the Olympiad in September and the World Championship in November.

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"For Gukesh, this was an absolute disaster. I believe that Gukesh is slated to play the Olympiad in September before his World Championship match in November. But for Gukesh, this is horrible news. Gukesh, I believe, is now down to No. 27 in the world. I think he is the fifth-highest-rated Indian player. So it's a complete disaster for Gukesh. Who knows what he's going to do to try and fix these issues before the match, but this is definitely not what he was hoping for," Nakamura said, as quoted by Endgame AI.

How did Gukesh perform in Norway Chess?

Gukesh struggled to perform in Norway Chess 2026, finishing at the bottom of the standings with just eight points to his name. The reigning world champion opened with an Armageddon victory, showcasing immense resilience, but failed to sustain form in the competition.

The Indian GM's defeat to R Praggnanandhaa became decisive, pushing him down the table.

Also Read | R Praggnanandhaa wins Norway Chess 2026: Revisiting Indian GM's major achievements before historic triumph in Oslo

While the reigning champion faltered, Praggnanandhaa went on to make history after winning the 2026 Norway Chess title.