The life of a world champion is hardly straightforward. Having achieved the ultimate glory once, there is a perennial need to match that standard, with the world’s eyes watching every move and noting every mistake. The 18-year-old D Gukesh , the youngest world chess champion, knows this feeling all too well. Nearly 17 months into his World Championship triumph over China’s Ding Liren, he is still searching for his first tournament win since that high of Singapore. Not that it directly defines his calibre, but Saturday marked the end of another event where a chance slipped by, as Gukesh delivered yet another middling performance to finish in the middle of the pack. The first event of the Grand Chess Tour 2026, Super Rapid & Blitz Poland, saw Gukesh end his campaign in sixth place with 17 combined points from nine rounds of rapid and 18 gruelling blitz rounds.…