Levon Aronian’s candid assessment of his chess career has drawn a pointed reaction from former world champion Vladimir Kramnik, after the American grandmaster said that reaching No. 2 in the world was already a “miracle” for him.In an exclusive interview with The Times of India, Aronian was asked whether he had any regrets about never becoming the classical World Champion. The 43-year-old was unequivocal: he said he had no regrets whatsoever, adding that he had never rated himself too highly as a chess player.“The fact that I was No. 2 in the world is already a miracle”Levon Aronian spoke about whether he has any regrets about never becoming World Champion:“No, I have no regrets whatsoever. First of all, I never valued myself so highly as a chess player. Of course, I have talent, and of course I’m better than many World Champions in my understanding of chess. But the very fact that I reached No. 2 in the world rankings is already a miracle to me. Because my chess knowledge used to be much worse before.Generally, I’m not sure that setting up goals is a good thing for you. Sometimes it only adds anxiety, and there’s already plenty of that in our world. It’s better to simply enjoy yourself and appreciate what you have,” Levon told TOI.
The remarks soon caught the attention of Kramnik, who responded on X.
Kramnik, the classical world champion from 2000 to 2007, described Aronian as a “remarkable and extraordinary chessplayer”, but appeared amused by the Armenian-born grandmaster’s assessment of his own abilities.“I would call this claim ‘modest confidence’,” Kramnik wrote before questioning Aronian’s assertion that he was better than many world champions in terms of chess understanding.“better than MANY world champions” in chess understanding? Hard to judge, but quite a statementKramnik’s response adds an interesting layer to Aronian’s comments. Rather than questioning Aronian’s achievements, his post highlights just how extraordinary the grandmaster’s career has been.Aronian came remarkably close to the summit of classical chess without ever winning the World Championship. He reached No. 2 in the FIDE rankings and a peak rating of 2830, while winning the World Cup twice, in 2005 and 2017. He also helped Armenia win three Chess Olympiad gold medals.His career also includes world titles in faster formats, making his absence from the list of classical world champions one of the more notable “what ifs” in modern chess.
