Gukesh Reflects on World Rapid Dip: "Little Below Expectations" After Strong Start

• World Champion Gukesh admitted his FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2025 performance was "little below expectations" after a strong initial start in Doha.
• He began in the leading group with Magnus Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi on day one but found wins harder to come by on subsequent days, causing him to slip.
• Gukesh finished 20th in the World Rapid Championship, while Carlsen won and Arjun Erigaisi secured a bronze medal.
• His struggles continued into the World Blitz Championship, where he suffered a shock defeat to 12-year-old FM Sergey Sklokin due to a time pressure blunder.
• After 11 rounds of the World Blitz Championship, Gukesh is currently not placed within the top 20.

Why It Matters: Gukesh's recent World Rapid and Blitz performances fell short of his initial hopes.