Norway Chess 2025: Gukesh Shocks Carlsen in Dramatic Victory

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh stunned the chess world by defeating former World Champion Magnus Carlsen in the sixth round of the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, marking his first-ever classical win over the Norwegian legend.

In a gripping game, Carlsen held an early advantage with black pieces, but Gukesh’s resilience paid off. Under intense time pressure, Carlsen committed a major blunder, allowing Gukesh to turn the tables and secure victory. With this win, Gukesh moved to 8.5 points, just a point behind co-leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.

Gukesh called the result “lucky” but acknowledged the chaos of time scrambles, saying, “99 out of 100 times, I would lose—just a lucky day.” Carlsen, visibly frustrated, banged the table before resigning—a rare emotional display from the seasoned champion.

Elsewhere in Round 6, Arjun Erigaisi defeated China’s Wei Yi in the Armageddon tie-break and remains the only player with a perfect Armageddon score. In the women’s section, India’s R Vaishali beat Koneru Humpy, also in Armageddon. Other winners included Ju Wenjun and Anna Myzychuk.

The tournament is shaping into a thrilling race as Gukesh inches closer to the top, showcasing his growing dominance in the classical format. His breakthrough win against Carlsen marks a major milestone for Indian chess.

Round 6 Results:

Gukesh (8.5) bt Carlsen (9.5)

Arjun Erigaisi (7.5) bt Wei Yi (6.5) – Armageddon

Caruana (9.5) bt Nakamura (7.5) – Armageddon

Vaishali (8) bt Humpy (9.5) – Armageddon

Ju Wenjun (8.5) bt Lei Tingjie (6) – Armageddon

Myzychuk (9.5) bt Sara Khadem (6) – Armageddon