'Gukesh's lifelong dream came too soon': US CEO Levon Aronian assesses Sindarov clash

Levon Aronian vs. Javokhir Sindarov vs. D Gukesh Clash World Championship challenger Javokhir Sindarov is not thinking about a top clash against Dommaraj Gukesh just yet.Earlier this year, the 20-year-old Uzbek earned a shot at the title by winning the Cyprus Candidates with one round to spare. But after returning to the country where it all began – it was in India where Sindarov won the 2025 FIDE World Championship in Goa to qualify as a candidate – he wants to talk about everything but the upcoming Geneva clash where he will face Gukesh in a series of 14 classic games running from November 22 to December 13.“Right now I’m focusing on my next events: the Global Chess League and the Olympics,” he told reporters on Friday. “After them, I will start preparing for the World Cup match.”The Global Chess League (GCL) starts on Saturday. The Uzbek grandmaster plays for the US Gambits there before appearing for his national team at the Samarkand Olympics from September 15-27.Gukesh will also represent India at the Chess Olympiad, but the GCL is one of several tournaments he has decided to skip as he concentrates on the World Championship match.American grandmaster Levon Aronian suspects that the fight for the title between the two 20-year-olds will depend on both temperament and preparation.“Gukesh is a great fighter,” he told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interview. “He was a bit down, but I expect him to be in a fighting mood for the game. Obviously, it’s a huge pressure.Gukesh became a world champion at the age of 18, the youngest ever to do so. Aronian sees in this an echo of an earlier time. Mikhail Tal, who won the title aged 23 in 1960, was himself the youngest world champion of his time before Garry Kasparov broke the record 25 years later.“You know, you’re so young and your life’s dream came too soon. I think the same thing happened to Mikhail Tal. He also became a world champion too soon. And of course it’s normal to be crushed,” Aronian added.

Michail Tal (photo from the Dutch National Archives)

Strategically, Aronian feels that the wider chess world has already decided how Gukesh will approach the match.“I think at the moment people think that Gukesh is going to go and try to be very careful, like in a similar style to what Ding (Liren) did against Nepomniachtchi, or also how Ding played against Gukesh,” he said with a smile.Whether that scenario holds up against Sindarov, he added, is an interesting question.“There are so many possibilities and it will definitely be an interesting match from a strategic point of view. I expect Sindarov to continue to play very interesting chess the way he does. I think it’s an interesting matchup. Hopefully there will be a lot of resulting games,” he said.Aronian, who is ranked No. 2 in the world and has won world titles in every format except classical, concluded: “I have no regrets at all because I never thought of myself as a chess player. Of course, I have talent and I am better than many world champions.” knowledge of chess used to be much worse.ALSO READ: ‘I’m surprised’: Levon Aronian wins historic India GCT title after weakening Praggnanandha | Exclusive“I’m not sure if setting goals is a good thing for you. Sometimes it just adds to the anxiety. I think it’s better to just enjoy and appreciate what you have.”