It takes a lot to make a sporting champion. In the case of D Gukesh, it would be his school, his parents, the academy run by Viswanathan Anand and Anand's hands-on mentoring. And, usually in a corner, away from the limelight, Grzegorz Gajewski.
Grzegorz who, you ask? For those following Indian chess over the past couple of years, his is a familiar name as he's been working with India's brightest young talent. And now, on the eve of the biggest match for either of them, Gajewski finds himself being spoken about as the most important person in Gukesh's life other than his parents.
Theirs is a relationship that dates back to 2019, when Gukesh beat Gajewski at the World Rapid Championships. They were then at almost opposite ends of their playing careers. Gajewski, then 34, was a veteran GM, known more for his strategising than for big titles; Gukesh, then 13, had become a GM earlier that year and was breaking age-specific records in the chess world.
Their reunion, a couple of years ago, came about through Viswanathan Anand. Through the Westbridge-Anand Chess Academy, Gajewski was already working with the cream of Indian chess - including Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa. "It was difficult to say who was the most talented," Gajewski told ESPN.
By December 2022, when Gukesh was looking primed to take on the best in the world, Anand decided that the youngster would need a full-time coach working exclusively with him. He asked Gajewski about the possibility, and he had no doubt about it.
����@DGukesh pic.twitter.com/AX3KrnERiv
- Grzegorz Gajewski (@GajuChess) June 10, 2023
Did Gajewski need convincing, Anand was asked on the sidelines of the press meet in Singapore ahead of the World Championships.
"It's not about convincing," he replied. "I told Gajewski, 'This is a good stage. What do you think?' He said, 'He's a fantastic guy, enjoy working with him.' They tried and it worked. It was love at first sight."
The two hit it off immediately, starting with preparations for the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk Aan Zee. Gajewski provided remote support to Gukesh, who had started the tournament poorly, losing to Ding Liren and Anish Giri in his first two matches. He had two more losses - to Fabiano Caruana and Wesley So - in rounds 6 and 7. At the halfway point of the tournament, Gukesh had just 1.5 points to his name.
That's when Gajewski's hand was needed, from both a technical perspective and to help Gukesh mentally. Gukesh went on to win two and draw four of his last six games in the tournament.
"In order to work together for a longer period, you have to trust each other, This trust had been established completely," Gajewski said.
So how is it working with an 18-year-old for someone who has been around the chess world for as long as Gajewski has? "You have to choose words carefully. On the one hand, you are talking with a very young person with not so much experience. On the other hand, you're talking to a very strong player and also a very intelligent person," Gajewski said. "He listens but whenever he has any doubts, he asks nicely. You need to be ready with an answer," he said.
As with the best coaches and players, there are disagreements. It is at these moments that Gajewski's ability to communicate and manage Gukesh is tested most.
"He has no problems disagreeing. Not just with me but in general. [He does it] In a very nice way. When he believes I'm not right, he says it and we discuss," he said.
Gajewski is no stranger to working with an Indian challenger for the world title. He was previously a part of Anand's entourage for his match against Magnus Carlsen in Sochi in 2014. But he says his job then was vastly different compared to what he's doing with Gukesh now.
"With Vishy, I was like the latest addition to the team. I wasn't leading the team, my responsibilities were kind of limited. My influence was limited [for Sochi]," Gajewski said.
Here though he's the one leading the team, the person with the most direct impact on Gukesh and his chess. Gukesh says the quality of his openings has been a point of focus since his partnership with Gajewski began, but that the it has helped in making him better at all aspects of chess. "I was a very narrow-minded chess player. Gaju has opened my mind about the game," Gukesh said.
Thanks to @WacaChess ,i got company @GajuChess in Stavanger to support and prepare me for the battle ahead�� pic.twitter.com/uDnLUihLMV
- Gukesh D (@DGukesh) May 28, 2023
An important example of Gajewski's ability to get the best out of Gukesh under pressure came late in 2023, with him still not having qualified for the Candidates tournament. He went through a bit of a lull in terms of form, as he played a large number of tournaments within a short period of time. "We tried to focus on the process. Obviously there was pressure, he wanted to qualify too badly and that hurt his quality, so we tried to redirect focus, just focus on the game and moves," Gajewski said.
Gukesh qualified for the Candidates just in time, and then went on to win it. And now, here he is, a few weeks of good chess away from being crowned the king of the chess world. What's the feeling like for the coach right now?
"It's a dream for every coach to have this one kid who has a dream and is eager to do what it takes to fulfil it," Gajewski said. "He made his decision a long time ago. Not now but many years ago when he decided to become world champion. Hopefully he will become one."