Nakamura: Gukesh needs to stop thinking about world title to boost rating

Hikaru Nakamura, the American chess Grandmaster, believes that Indian star Gukesh D is currently struggling with the weight of expectations. Nakamura suggested that if Gukesh can stop focusing on his status as a world champion and accept that he does not need to be Magnus Carlsen, his rating will likely improve. As of the August 2026 FIDE rankings, Gukesh's classical rating has slipped to 2703.