Norwegian Chess: D Gukesh loses his last game as a teenager to Magnus Carlsen; Divya Deshmukh’s unbeaten streak ends

D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen and Divya Deshmukh (photo by Michal Walusza for Norwegian Chess) NEW DELHI: Today is the birthday of world chess champion Dommaraju Gukesh. As the Chennai-born grandmaster prepared to leave his teenage years behind and reach his 20th birthday, he got a rare opportunity to celebrate by defeating world number one and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in the 4th round of Norwegian Chess 2026 on Thursday. Ever since Gukesh became the youngest ever to win a world title at the age of 18, Carlsen has been one of the main outside voices raising questions and doubts about the youngster’s abilities outside the game.It’s also impossible to forget how Carlsen lost his cool and ended up slamming the table when the two last met in the same event in 2025. It’s not every day that the Almighty grants a chance to celebrate a birthday while capitalizing on the memories of such shenanigans. Gukesh, playing with white pieces at the Deichman Bjørvika library in Oslo, looked steady at the start. However, as the game progressed, Carlsen gradually took control of the Ragozin defense and used active piece play to compensate for his weakened pawn structure. A central break of 22…c5 and subsequent rook invasion of the b-square exposed Gukesh’s king, while the passed a-pawn ensured a winning endgame.Bringing his best self to the board, Magnus converted the initiative with typical precision to secure a 42-move victory over the reigning World Chess Champion.This marked the local hero’s first classic win of the tournament, allowing him to bounce back from a classic defeat in the previous round against R Praggnanandhaa.

Divya Deshmukh’s winning run hit a wall

Divya Deshmukh’s unbeaten streak came to a definitive end on Wednesday after the 20-year-old from Nagpur, playing with white pieces, took on defending Norwegian chess champion Anna Muzychuk.After confidently handling the Bishop’s Opening against Muzychuk, Divya was able to create active attacking chances with aggressive rook and queenside coordination on the kingside. For a moment, it seemed that a classic victory was within reach of the Indian. However, Anna reacted precisely, neutralizing the pressure and simplifying the game to a balanced end of the tower. Despite repeated tactical threats from both sides, neither player could force a breakthrough and the classic encounter ended in a 63-move draw after three replays.In the tie-break at Armageddon, where Black went 10 minutes to White’s 7 but only needed a draw to win the match, Muzychuk took the initiative in the middle game.She successfully used open queens and used active piece coordination in symmetrical English. Divya fought vigorously with central counterplay and a dangerous d-pawn pass, but the black queen’s activity and tactical precision gradually took over. After Divya’s mistake with 39.d6+, the sequence culminated in 39…Qxa2 leaving Black with a decisive material and positional advantage.Muzychuk turned the pressure into a winning Armageddon performance as she now shares second place with Divya on 5.5 points.

Elsewhere: R Praggnanandhaa scores victory in Armageddon, Humpy’s tough run continues

Speaking of missed opportunities, Praggnanandhaa, who was chasing classic wins in the tournament, had the black pieces on Thursday and seized the initiative early to close out his game against German No.1 Vincent Keymer.However, Keymer defended brilliantly to avoid a classic defeat against the Indian. However, when the Armageddon tie-break began, the German defense could not sustain the pressure indefinitely. Praggnanandhaa produced a clean performance against Keymer in symmetrical English, drawing comfortably before taking over the queenless middle game with active piece play and strong central control. The move 17…Nd4+ highlighted Black’s initiative and excellent coordination, leaving Keymer under immense pressure without meaningful counterplay. Under the conditions of Armageddon, White’s position became strategically hopeless, leading to Keymer’s resignation.Koner Humpy’s tough run continues after the veteran Indian grandmaster lost to Zhu Jiner in their Armageddon tie-break. Meanwhile, Bibisara defeated Ju Wenjun in Armageddon and cemented her position at the top of the table with 7 points.Alireza Firouzja faltered for the first time, losing to American grandmaster Wesley So. Despite the defeat, Firouzja continues to lead the tournament with 8.5 points, while world champion Gukesh sits at the bottom of the table with 3.5 points.