The Ice-Cold Assassin: Gukesh Dommaraju’s Playing Style, Dissected

At just 19 years old, Gukesh Dommaraju is already chess royalty – the reigning World Chess Champion, a prodigy whose meteoric rise stunned even the most jaded of grandmasters. But how exactly does he play? What defines his style? And what sets him apart from the rest of the elite?

Let’s break it down through the lens of experts like David Howell, Anish Giri, and Magnus Carlsen, each offering a different perspective on the young Indian star’s strengths and subtleties.

Calculation: His Superpower

When David Howell scored Gukesh’s abilities FIFA-style, one number stood above all: 98 in calculation. That’s nearly perfect. And even though Giri tried to tone it down, “Let’s give it 94… don’t go nuts just because Magnus gave one interview”, the message remains the same: Gukesh is a machine when it comes to calculation.

Carlsen confirmed it too, saying Gukesh is “as extreme as it gets for a top player” when comparing calculation to intuition, 95 to 5. He’s not your typical feel-the-position guy. He goes deep, methodical, relentless. In his words: “He’s more of a deep calculator and precise calculator.”

This isn’t a guy who stumbles onto brilliancies. He digs them out with surgical focus.

How GM David Howell rated Gukesh:

Attacking: 92
Calculation: 98
Strategy: 91
Time Management: 85
Intuition: 78
Defense: 91
Overall: 92

Attack, Defense, and Everything In Between

You’d expect someone with a calculation score that high to be a pure attacker, and yes, Howell gave him 92 in attacking, second only to his calculation.

But here’s the twist: Gukesh is also a phenomenal defender. Howell scored his defense 91, and Giri even pushed it further, “Maybe 93, like more than the attack in effect. Sometimes the attack comes from the defense.” The phrase might sound poetic, but it rings true: Gukesh thrives in complex positions, whether he’s pressing or absorbing pressure.

Carlsen saw him as 65% attacker and 35% defender, not extreme either way, but dangerous in both realms.

Strategic Mind: Solid, Not Spectacular (Yet)

Gukesh’s strategy score according to Howell was 91, but Giri challenged that too: “Drop it to the 80s, maybe 87.” Carlsen was more modest, rating his strategic sense at 85, pointing out that Gukesh is still developing in this area.

That’s fair. After all, the kid never touched engines seriously until age 14. In a world where toddlers get Stockfish 16 for breakfast, that’s practically late. Yet he still became World Champion by 18. His ceiling? Probably still rising.

Time Management: A Work in Progress

Here’s where Gukesh is human. Howell gave him 85, but Giri called even that “too generous.” Carlsen agreed: while Gukesh doesn’t panic under time pressure, he’s not yet a clock maestro. Still, as someone who handles stress well and doesn’t crumble when the seconds tick, there’s optimism here too.

Opening & Endgame: Still Room to Grow

Carlsen was blunt: Gukesh’s opening prep isn’t elite yet. He gave it a “7 out of 10… maybe 68.” Not surprising, given Gukesh’s relatively late start with engines.

Endgames? Carlsen rated him 72 out of 100, noting that experience will polish this further. Still, these are not weak spots, just relative to his monstrous middlegame, they lag behind.

Personality on the Board: Disciplined, Dangerous, and Cold as Ice

Carlsen called him 95% disciplined and only 5% rebel. That fits. Gukesh doesn’t gamble or wing it. His style is rooted in deep prep, concrete lines, and zero drama. Carlsen recalled a moment from 2021 where Gukesh surprised him with his ambition: “It struck me… he had a style which you could see could become something really special.”

And it did.

Final Verdict: The Concrete World Champion

David Howell summed it up with an overall score of 92, one of the highest he gave any player. Gukesh’s playing style is grounded in precision, ambition, and almost unshakable calm. He doesn’t dazzle with intuition or shock with flashy moves. Instead, he builds, calculates, and crushes, like a glacier moving faster than anyone thought possible.

He may not be flashy, but make no mistake: Gukesh plays winning chess. And at just 19, he’s only getting started.