D Gukesh’s Slow Start in 2025 Blamed on Khel Ratna Award Ceremony: Chess World No. 3 Reveals Bombshell Reason

D Gukesh, the youngest-ever world chess champion, received the prestigious Khel Ratna Award from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on January 17. However, his slow start in the 2025 season opener against Anish Giri was attributed to the fatigue and jetlag from the award ceremony.

Gukesh, who defeated Ding Liren to claim the world championship title, made a comeback win against Giri after a massive error early in the game. American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura revealed on his Youtube channel that Gukesh arrived just three hours before the tournament after receiving the award in India.

Despite the slow start, Gukesh is expected to have a strong winning run this year and will face top players like Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen in the freestyle chess format in February. His world championship victory garnered praise from fans and former chess stars, but also faced criticism from Carlsen and Vladimir Kramnik for the quality of the match.

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