Reigning world champion D Gukesh turned the tables on chess legend Magnus Carlsen in a dramatic Round 6 showdown at the Norway Chess Tournament, defeating the Norwegian superstar for the first time in a classical format.
The 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster capitalized on a rare blunder in time trouble by Carlsen, who visibly lost his composure, banging the board in frustration as Gukesh calmly sealed a memorable victory.
🔥 Match Highlights
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Gukesh (White) vs Carlsen (Black)
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Final Result: 1–0 (Gukesh wins)
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Key Moment: Carlsen dropped a knight in a time scramble after dominating most of the game.
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Gukesh: “99 out of 100 times I would lose… just a lucky day.”
🎯 Turning Point in the Tournament
With this unexpected triumph, Gukesh now climbs to third place with 8.5 points, just one behind joint leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana (9.5 pts each). The Chennai teen, who had suffered a crushing loss to Carlsen in Round 1, bounced back in style.
“First classical win over Magnus — not the way I expected or wanted, but I’ll take it,” said a composed Gukesh, calling it a “lucky day” despite his clever tactical resilience.
Carlsen, a five-time world champion, had maintained a clear edge throughout the four-hour match. However, the pressure of the clock proved costly. After the critical blunder, he slammed the board with his fist, unsettling the pieces, before congratulating Gukesh with a handshake and a pat on the back.
🧠 Coach Reacts: A Milestone Moment
Gukesh’s coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, said the win was a huge confidence boost for the teenager.
“Once you’ve done it, you know you can do it again. That’s the plan,” Gajewski remarked, also crediting improvements in time management for the victory.
🎓 Other Results – Round 6
Open Section
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D Gukesh (IND, 8.5) beat Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 9.5)
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Arjun Erigaisi (IND, 7.5) beat Wei Yi (CHN, 6.5) via Armageddon
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Fabiano Caruana (USA, 9.5) beat Hikaru Nakamura (USA, 7.5) via Armageddon
Women’s Section
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R Vaishali (IND, 8) beat Koneru Humpy (IND, 9.5) via Armageddon
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Ju Wenjun (CHN, 8.5) beat Lei Tingjie (CHN, 6) via Armageddon
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Anna Muzychuk (UKR, 9.5) beat Sara Khadem (ESP, 6) via Armageddon
⚔️ Leaderboard Watch
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Men’s Joint Leaders: Carlsen & Caruana (9.5 pts)
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Close Behind: Gukesh (8.5), Arjun Erigaisi (7.5)
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Women’s Leader: Anna Muzychuk (9.5 pts)
As the Norway Chess tournament heads into its final rounds, all six players in the open section remain in title contention — setting up a thrilling finish. For Gukesh, this victory over Carlsen may well be the moment that marks his true arrival as a dominant force on the global stage.
