‘Haters are fun bro’: Gukesh schools troll who told him it was time to retire

D Gukesh, the reigning world champion in chess, deftly quipped back at a troll who suggested he should retire. The 20-year-old prodigy, who is usually known for keeping a low profile on social media, engaged with the unnamed individual on Instagram DMs. The conversation began with the troll sending Gukesh a message that read, "Time to retire bro." Without missing a beat, Gukesh replied with a subtle nod of agreement, "Thanks bro."

The troll, clearly eager to continue the banter, then proposed a friendly chess match, asking, "Can we have a match of chess?" Gukesh, unfazed by the troll's attempts to engage him, responded firmly, "Sorry I'm retired bro." The troll, seemingly disappointed by Gukesh's curt response, tried to justify his actions by claiming he was merely completing a dare given to him by a friend. Unperturbed, Gukesh shared a screenshot of their exchange on his Instagram Stories, captioning it, "haters are fun bro."

Gukesh's recent slump in form has drawn criticism from even former world champions like Magnus Carlsen and Garry Kasparov. Since his crowning as world champion at the age of 18 in December 2024, Gukesh has struggled to find consistent success, failing to win any tournaments since. This stark contrast to his dominant performance in 2024, when he won the Candidates, led India to a historic Olympiad gold, and ultimately claimed the World Championship title by defeating China's Ding Liren, paints a picture of a once-confident player now grappling with doubts about his abilities.