Norwegian Chess: Gukesh drops last after Carlsen loss, Praggnanandhaa remains second
World number one Magnus Carlsen returned to form with a commanding victory over reigning world classic champion D Gukesh in Norwegian chess, pushing the young Indian to the bottom of the table after four rounds. Meanwhile, R Praggnanandhaa consolidated his position at number two after defeating Vincent Keymer in the Armageddon tie-break on Thursday.
The result marked a sharp turnaround for Carlsen after a slow start to the tournamentnt, while Gukesh’s struggles continued ahead of his world title defense later this year against Uzbek challenger Javokhir Sindarov.
Seven-time Norwegian chess champion Carlsen climbed from last place to sole fourth with 4.5 points after winning the full three points against Gukesh. A visibly disappointed Gukesh left the gaming hall quietly through a side entrance while young fans waited outside for autographs.
“I wouldn’t say I was super motivated today. I had quite enough after playing really bad for three days in a row with very little time. I didn’t have high expectations today, but I was happy with how things went in the beginning,” Carlsen said after the win.
The Norwegian admitted that he was surprised by Gukesh’s initial approach and felt that the Indian was being pushed around in search of an advantage.
“Sometimes he plays a bit too ambitiously and I think he did that today as well. He wanted to prove a serious advantage and I’m not sure it was. In the end he got into trouble and I gradually took over,” added Carlsen.
Carlsen also revealed that despite his dominant position, there were nervous moments late in the game. “Right at the end I was a bit worried about letting him take the check rider. I was like, ‘That happened yesterday against Praggnanandhaa, last year against Gukesh – am I really missing something?’ But if I had, he wouldn’t have found it,” he said.
For Gukesh, the defeat added to growing concerns about his form in Stavanger, where the intense format and relentless pressure exposed vulnerabilities in the young champion’s game. The 20-year-old now heads into a bottom-of-the-table rest day ahead of a crucial all-India clash against Praggnanandhaa in round five.
PRAGG STAYS SECOND AS DIVYA LOSSES
Tournament leader Alireza Firouzja retained the top spot despite suffering his first setback of the tournament, an Armageddon defeat to Wesley So after their classic game ended in a draw. The French-Iranian grandmaster still gained one point to move to 8.5, maintains a comfortable 2.5 point lead over Praggnanandhaa on six points.
Praggnanandhaa and Keymer both missed winning opportunities during their classic encounter before the Indian teenager dominated the Armageddon tie-break, wrapping up the game in just 17 moves.
“Armageddon went smoothly,” Praggnanandhaa said after collecting 1.5 points to secure sole second place.
American Wesley So is third with 5.5 points, followed by Carlsen with 4.5 and Keymer with four. Gukesh remains last with 3.5 points after four rounds.
In Norway chess women, Divya Deshmukh suffered her first defense in Armageddonafter three consecutive wins in a tie-break, she lost to defending champion Anna Muzychuk. As a result, the Indian youngster moved from second place to third place on 5.5 points.
Konera Humpy’s tough campaign also continued as she lost another Armageddon game, this time against Zhu Jiner, to remain at the bottom of the six-player leaderboard with three points.
Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the women’s section with seven points, Muzychuk, Divya and Zhu are joint second with 5.5 points. 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 (India, 3.5) lost to Magnus Carlsen (North, 4.5); Vincent Keymer (German, 4) lost to R Praggnanandhaa (India, 6).
Women – Bibisara Assaubaeva (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).
– The end
Published on:
29 May 2026 10:36 IST