'Written off as bottom feeder': Susan Polgar defends SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz leader Gukesh

World chess champion Gukesh secured a notable triumph against satellite fig 1 Magnus Carlsen successful a accelerated crippled astatine the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 successful Zagreb connected Thursday, earning praise from chess legends Susan Polgar and Garry Kasparov.

This triumph follows Gukesh's erstwhile triumph implicit Carlsen astatine Norway Chess successful a classical format match.After losing his opening crippled to Jan-Krzysztof Duda, Gukesh made a singular comeback by defeating 5 apical players successful succession, including Carlsen. He present leads the accelerated conception with Carlsen trailing by 4 points going into the last day.Susan Polgar expressed her enactment for Gukesh connected X, addressing critics who questioned his satellite champion status."I americium truthful blessed for Gukesh. Some person doubted his worthiness arsenic a World Champion, and believed that helium was conscionable a fortunate victor against an disconnected signifier Ding Liren. I work a batch of disapproval from doubters," Polgar wrote.

Polgar further wrote connected Gukesh's awesome tourney performance. "In this tourney successful Croatia, helium started disconnected with a nonaccomplishment against Duda. He was already written disconnected arsenic a bottommost feeder by others. Then helium won 5 straight, taking down Firouzja with white, Praggnanandhaa with black, Abdusattorov with black, Caruana with white, and Carlsen with black! No substance what volition hap tomorrow, beating those 5 consecutively is simply a feat precise fewer tin ever do.

I anticipation this volition springiness him assurance to emergence to different level!"Before the tournament, Carlsen had expressed skepticism astir Gukesh's abilities successful accelerated and blitz formats."Gukesh hasn't done thing to bespeak that he's going to bash good (in accelerated and blitz). It remains to beryllium proven that he's 1 of the champion players successful specified a format. This is simply a very, precise beardown tract that we person here. Players similar Gukesh person a batch to prove.

In the people of 27 rounds, things usually show. I anticipation for Gukesh's involvement that helium tin play better," Carlsen had stated. Carlsen had besides mentioned helium would dainty games against Gukesh arsenic matches against 1 of the "presumably weaker players successful the tournament.

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However, aft his defeat, Carlsen acknowledged the Indian's performance. "Gukesh is doing unthinkable good (at this tournament). It's a agelong mode to spell successful the tourney but winning 5 games successful a enactment is nary mean feat," Carlsen admitted. Former satellite champion Garry Kasparov besides praised Gukesh's abilities, comparing his playing benignant to that of a computer.The tourney continues with some accelerated and blitz sections, wherever Gukesh and Carlsen volition look each different successful 1 accelerated and 2 blitz games implicit the weekend.