Indian GM Nihal Sarin shared his thoughts on his games with World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the 2026 Menorca Open. Sarin says he doesn’t like playing against friends and, notes Gukesh’s withdrawal from Grand Chess Tour tournaments.

Nihal Sarin

Nihal Sarin

Indian GM

“It’s nice to win against the World Champion with both colors — it felt good. But I don’t really like to play against friends very much. Gukesh and I are very good friends. The games were quite nice, though, and I’m happy with their quality.

Gukesh’s current form is obviously isn’t the best right now, he’s admitted himself. But I think it’s a very good decision to just take a break. I think it’s a bit underrated. Everyone needs a break to rethink everything, just relax, live a normal life for a bit, and calmly prepare for the main tournament. And Gukesh is a fantastic, unbelievable, and very classy player.

I’m sure he will be back to his best form very soon.”

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju stated that he will skip major tournaments in the coming months on March 31. In March Gukesh Dommaraju (2732) finished last at the Prague International Chess Festival. In February Gukesh finished 9th at the Tata Steel Chess Masters 2026.

Credit: Eng Chin An / FIDE