Gukesh Is Making The Most Of Being World Champion—And Good On Him

When you're World Champion, you're automatically a headline act. Even when home hero GM Magnus Carlsen is in town.

And GM Gukesh D has yet again signalled he won't shy away from the challenge of being in that spotlight.

The 19-year-old king of chess confirmed on Tuesday that he will compete in another super tournament this year in the run-up to his world title defence by signing on for the star-studded Norway Chess 2026.

In doing so, Gukesh will once again be taking his place in one of the strongest fields in world chess.

The announcement reinforces a defining theme of Gukesh’s reign so far: an unusually heavy competitive schedule for a modern world champion.

"I am really happy to take part in Norway Chess again, fighting against a very strong field as always, and looking forward to all the exciting games," Gukesh said.

The Indian star will arrive in Oslo as the youngest undisputed World Champion in the history of the game, having captured the title at just 18 years old.

Rather than adopting a selective approach to tournament play, Gukesh has chosen to compete widely, appearing in nearly every major elite event since winning the crown.

In the months following his world championship victory over GM Ding Liren, Gukesh has played some of the biggest events going including Tata Steel, Norway Chess, the Sinquefield Cup, Grenke, Freestyle Chess at Weissenhaus, and the Chess Olympiad. He's one of the most active champions in recent decades.

As well as Norway Chess this year, Gukesh has already said he will compete as a full tour participant in the Grand Chess Tour, which means two classical tournaments and two of three rapid and blitz events.

There is the pilot edition of the 16-player Total Chess World Championship taking place from October 3 to 15.

Then, of course, is the big one: the classical World Championship, where Gukesh will face the winner of the FIDE Candidates in March.

That workload stands in sharp contrast to his predecessor. During his time as world champion, Ding played relatively few classical games—44 by our count—with a limited tournament schedule shaped by reported personal and health problems during his tenure. Ding's absence has continued: last month he was listed as inactive on FIDE's rating system.

Gukesh has been a different animal. His approach, by comparison, has drawn closer parallels to an earlier era of champions such as the legendary GM Garry Kasparov, who routinely competed across packed calendars while holding the title.

Gukesh's rapid rise has already rewritten multiple records. In 2024, he won the Candidates Tournament before defeating Ding to secure the world championship. His chess CV includes becoming the youngest player ever to cross a 2750 rating, and earning the Grandmaster title at the age of 12, the third-youngest in chess history.

Gukesh also played a central role in India's emergence as a global chess powerhouse. At the Chess Olympiad, Gukesh won individual gold on board one in 2022, followed by both team gold and individual gold on board one in 2024, further cementing his status as the face of a new generation.

Norway Chess, in particular, has been important to his rise.

At the 2025 edition, Gukesh finished third and recorded his first classical victory over Carlsen in a dramatic encounter that produced the widely shared table-slam moment and quickly became one of the tournament’s most talked-about games.

"Having Gukesh D return to Norway Chess as reigning World Champion is something we truly value," said Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norway Chess.

"India has become one of the strongest chess nations in the world today, and we know many fans will be following Gukesh D closely. We hope chess audiences across India will tune in as he competes in Oslo in 2026."

With his return now confirmed, Norway Chess 2026 adds another major stop to an already demanding championship itinerary.

For Gukesh, it seems he wants to assert his presence—because being World Champion won't be forever.