PulseNext Sports | June 2, 2025
In a seismic shock to the chess world, World Champion
D Gukesh defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in
classical chess for the first time at Norway Chess 2025. The 18-year-old Indian
prodigy executed a breathtaking endgame comeback on Monday, propelling himself
into title contention with four rounds remaining.
Carlsen, controlling a winning position, crumbled in a time
scramble – a near-unthinkable lapse from the top-ranked player. His critical
blunder transformed a certain victory into a nightmare as Gukesh capitalized on
a lightning-fast pawn race, promoting a queen to force resignation.
A visibly frustrated Carlsen hammered the table before graciously patting
Gukesh on the back, acknowledging the magnitude of the upset.
"It was a completely lost game. 99 times out
of 100, I would have lost this game, just a lucky day," a
humble Gukesh remarked post-victory. The win marks his second classical triumph
of the event, following an earlier victory over Hikaru Nakamura.
Indian Charge in Stavanger
The Indian contingent delivered a powerful one-two punch:
1. Gukesh
(8.5 pts): Defeated Carlsen to climb to 3rd place.
2. Arjun
Erigaisi (7.5 pts): Secured a vital 1.5 points by defeating
China's Wei Yi in a tense Armageddon tiebreaker after their classical game
ended in a draw.
Tournament Standings Shakeup
The loss dethroned Carlsen from the outright lead, tying him
with Fabiano Caruana at 9.5 points. Gukesh now sits just one point behind the
co-leaders:
|
Rank |
Player |
Points |
|
1 |
Magnus Carlsen |
9.5 |
|
1 |
Fabiano Caruana |
9.5 |
|
3 |
D Gukesh |
8.5 |
|
4 |
Hikaru Nakamura |
7.5 |
|
4 |
Arjun Erigaisi |
7.5 |
|
6 |
Wei Yi |
6.5 |
With four rounds left, Gukesh has positioned himself for a
potential tournament-winning surge. His historic victory over Carlsen – only
the Norwegian’s second classical loss in 2025 – sends a
resounding message: the young World Champion refuses to be intimidated by the
chess elite.
All eyes turn to Tuesday’s Round 7 as Gukesh aims to close the
gap, while Carlsen seeks redemption. The battle for the Norway Chess crown just
ignited
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