New Delhi: Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomaniacci has come down hard on current world champion De Gokesh, saying the Indian youngster is weak against almost every top player in the world right now. Speaking at the Sardinia World Chess Festival 2026, Nepomaniachi said Gokesh has struggled for consistency since becoming the youngest world champion in history in 2024.“Based on what we saw from Gokesh last year, I’m sure almost every top GM will have a very good chance of talking softly in a matchup against him. Because he plays badly at times,” Nepomaniacci told ChaseBase India.“Of course, there is always a chance of a bad tournament or a bad order, but it has lost a lot of candidates after that. I think the match against Ding was also very bad from both sides. But well, the match itself is very special, it’s all about psychology, ability and so on.”The Russian GM also backed Javakhir Sundarov ahead of his 2026 World Championship clash with Gokesh. The November match will be the youngest ever world title clash, with both players aged 20.Nepomniachtchi believes that Sindarov currently has the edge due to his recent form and high ranking. “So far, of course, Sundarov has 50 more Elo points and is clearly on a hot streak,” he said, although he added that form can change quickly before the title match.Since becoming world champion in 2024, Gokesh’s performance has been closely analysed. While he has shown flashes of brilliance, he has also had poor tournaments and recently decided to take a break from classical chess to prepare for his title defense.Meanwhile, Sandrov has enjoyed a remarkable rise, winning the 2026 Candidates Tournament and the FIDE World Cup.
