Norway Chess: Gukesh drops last after Carlsen loss, Praggnanandhaa stays second
Magnus Carlsen dismantled D Gukesh with black to halt his own wobble at Norway Chess. The defeat left the world champion last, while Praggnanandhaa's resilience strengthened his firm hold on second place.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen bounced back to form with a commanding win over reigning classical world champion D Gukesh at Norway Chess, pushing the young Indian to the bottom of the standings after four rounds. Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa strengthened his hold on second place after defeating Vincent Keymer in the Armageddon tie-break on Thursday.
The result marked a sharp turnaround for Carlsen after a sluggish start to the tournament, while Gukesh’s struggles continued ahead of his world title defence later this year against Uzbek challenger Javokhir Sindarov.
Seven-time Norway Chess champion Carlsen climbed from last place to sole fourth with 4.5 points after earning three full points against Gukesh. A visibly disappointed Gukesh exited the playing hall quietly through a side entrance as young fans waited outside for autographs.
“I wouldn’t say I was super-motivated today. I kind of had enough after playing really poorly for three days in a row with very little time. Today, I didn’t have a lot of expectations, but I was happy with the way things went in the opening,” Carlsen said after the victory as quoted by PTI.
The Norwegian admitted he was surprised by Gukesh’s opening approach and felt the Indian overpressed in search of an advantage.
“He sometimes plays a little too ambitiously and I think he did that today as well. He wanted to prove a serious advantage, and I’m not sure there was one. Eventually, he played himself into some trouble and I gradually took over,” Carlsen added.
Carlsen also revealed there were anxious moments late in the game despite his dominant position. “Right at the end I was a little worried if I was allowing him to take a knight with check. I was thinking, ‘This happened against Praggnanandhaa yesterday, it happened against Gukesh last year — am I actually missing something?’ But if I was, he didn’t find it,” he said.
For Gukesh, the defeat added to mounting concerns over his form in Stavanger, where the intense format and relentless pressure have exposed vulnerabilities in the young champion’s game. The 20-year-old now heads into the rest day at the bottom of the table before a crucial all-Indian clash against Praggnanandhaa in the fifth round.
PRAGG STAYS SECOND AS DIVYA LOSSES
Tournament leader Alireza Firouzja retained top spot despite suffering his first setback of the event, an Armageddon defeat to Wesley So after their classical game ended in a draw. The French-Iranian grandmaster still earned one point to move to 8.5, maintaining a comfortable 2.5-point lead over Praggnanandhaa on six points.
Praggnanandhaa and Keymer both missed winning opportunities during their classical encounter before the Indian teenager dominated the Armageddon tie-break, finishing the game in just 17 moves.
“The Armageddon went smooth,” Praggnanandhaa said after collecting 1.5 points and consolidating sole second place.
American Wesley So sits third on 5.5 points, followed by Carlsen on 4.5 and Keymer on four. Gukesh remains last on 3.5 points after four rounds.
In Norway Chess Women, Divya Deshmukh suffered her first Armageddon defeat after three successive tie-break wins, losing to defending champion Anna Muzychuk. The result dropped the Indian youngster from sole second to a three-way tie for third on 5.5 points.
Koneru Humpy’s difficult campaign also continued as she lost another Armageddon game, this time against Zhu Jiner, leaving her at the bottom of the six-player standings on three points.
The women’s section is led by Bibisara Assaubayeva on seven points, with Muzychuk, Divya and Zhu jointly placed second on 5.5 points each. Reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun is on four points.
RESULTS (ROUND 4):
Open - Wesley So (USA, 5.5) bt Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 8.5); D Gukesh (Ind, 3.5) lost to Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 4.5); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 4) lost to R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 6).
Women – Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 7) bt Ju Wenjun (Chn, 4); Divya Deshmukh (Ind 5.5) lost to Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 5.5); Koneru Humpu (Ind, 3) lost to Zhu Jiner (Chn, 5.5).