Garry Kasparov Opines Sindarov Beating Gukesh In World Championship Clash Could Trigger Carlsen’s Comeback

Hyderabad: The chess world might see a twist by the end of the year with legend Garry Kasparov hinting at a scenario which might trigger Magnus Carlsen’s comeback. Kasparov has suggested that if rising Uzbek player Javokhir Sindarov manages to defeat World Champion D Gukesh in the title clash, it could bring Carlsen back to his classical form. Sindarov won the Candidates tournament held recently with utter domination, without losing a single game, and also took a solid lead after only half of the tournament was over.

“The way he won the Candidates, it was very impressive. I must say, it’s hard to impress me. But the way Sindarov played his timing, the quality of his moves, his ability to withstand pressure and increase the pressure on his opponents was exceptional,” Kasparov said in an interview with St Louis Chess Club’s YouTube handle.

“Compared to Gukesh, if you look at the games, Sindarov looks like the clear favorite. But this match is a special format. Gukesh is very mentally stable, able to defend any position and find resources even in the worst situations.

He further added that if Sindarov beats Gukesh, Carlsen might be brought back to the game.

'The current World Champion is 19. The challenger is only 20. But I still want to emphasize that the strongest chess player (Carlsen) is 35. With all due respect. I would love to see Sindarov playing Magnus, because Carlsen is still around. Maybe if Sindarov beats Gukesh, then there will be a chance to bring Magnus back and see how things go.''

Carlsen relinquished the world title in 2022, citing a lack of interest in the classical format and a weak challenge from his competitors as reasons behind the decision. Also, he has constantly emphasised that he wouldn’t return to the World Chess Championship cycle.