Uzbekistani Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov recently made a bold prediction about current world chess champion D Gukesh. When asked for an unpopular opinion about chess, Nodirbek claimed that Gukesh would lose his world championship title in his next defense match.“Gukesh will lose his title in the next match. Is that controversial?” Nodirbek stated during the lead-up to the FIDE Grand Swiss tournament in Samarkand.The statement caught the attention of five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, who has served as a mentor to Gukesh and other top chess players.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Anand responded to Nodirbek’s statement during India’s live stream of Round 1 of FIDE Grand Swiss.“Yes, I am aware of it. It’s been suggested to me a lot. It keeps popping up on all my feeds. Respect to these boys. They know how to make content,” Anand said on India’s live stream of Round 1 of FIDE Grand Swiss.“He is so innocent, no? Is that controversial?” Anand quipped. “No, it’s good fun. That’s how the game is played these days.” Watch:Gukesh, who became the youngest world chess champion in history last year, responded to Nodirbek’s prediction with composure.“I mean, first of all, obviously, Nodirbek Abdusattorov is a great player and he’s very much capable, but (at this) the tournament he can only qualify for the Candidates, so it’s one more step to become world champion,” Gukesh said.“But whoever it is like, I am sure you know deserves to be there and is very much capable of playing well. I am not really rooting for anybody, I just do my part as a researcher,” Gukesh added.ALSO READ: From chasing one-rupee coins every day to defeating Divya Deshmukh: Abhimanyu Puranik finds the state between ‘rage and serenity’The current situation shows Nodirbek competing for a spot in next year’s Candidates Tournament. His competitors include notable players like R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, Alireza Firouzja, and Ian Nepomniachtchi.Gukesh, on the other hand, is participating in the tournament solely to demonstrate his abilities in a different format.
