Norwegian chess: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Divya Deshmukh all suffered classic defeats; Magnus Carlsen smiles again

Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh, Divya Deshmukh and Magnus Carlsen (photo by Michal Walusza for Norwegian Chess) NEW DELHI: Round 6 on Sunday marked the beginning of reverse matches in Norwegian Chess this year. It regularly featured the exact same pairs as in the opening round, but with oppositely colored pieces in the Deichman Bjørvika library in Oslo. In this opening round, it turned out to be a day of sheer joy for the Indian contingent; apart from Koner Humpy, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandha and Divya Deshmukh all won their matches (albeit at Armageddon) to start their campaigns on a positive note.However, the reverse matches turned as bleak as could be for India as all three heavyweights suffered devastating classic defeats while veteran Humpy also lost his Armageddon tie-break.Norwegian Chess has several aspects that make it an overall interesting proposition as a tournament, with its different scoring system. A classic win nets a whopping 3 points, while a classic draw awards 1 point, with the winner of the subsequent Armageddon tie-break getting an extra 0.5 points. With the tournament putting so much emphasis on classic wins, losing in regular play can be devastating, as the Indian players painfully realized at the end of round 6 in both the open and women’s sections.

Keymer outmaneuvers Gukesh; Praggnanandhaa also defeated

For reigning world champion D Gukesh, who was brandishing the black pieces on Sunday, his opponent proved too hot to handle. Germany’s Vincent Keymer was able to channel a London-style opening into a highly dynamic middle game and the 20-year-old Indian grandmaster paid a heavy price for being too adventurous in defence.After Gukesh grabbed the b2-pawn with 18…Bxb2, White created relentless pressure through central reserves and active rook play. Keymer’s pieces quickly penetrated the seventh rank and won decisive material before a folded f-pawn sealed a convincing classical victory in 52 moves.After a 5th round loss to compatriot Gukesh on Saturday, Praggnanandhaa seemed deeply determined to squeeze a positive result out of the game against US grandmaster Wesley Soo, who had the white pieces. This urgency was seen on the board as Praggnanandhaa met So’s queenside setup with an ambitious kingside extension, running 9…f5 and 12…g5 to seize the first initiative.After successfully opening lines against the white king, Black secured central control and created a dangerous d-pawn. However, after simplifying the position with a series of exchanges, So brilliantly targeted Black’s overdrawn d-pawn and steered the game into an endgame where his king and pieces became increasingly dominant.The critical breakthrough came when White’s central pawns surged forward just as Black’s coordination faltered. Displaying flawless finishing technique, So seized complete control and forced Praggnanandha to retire in move 63.After these critical classic defeats, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa find themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard with 6.5 and 6 points respectively, while So now climbs to the top of the tournament leaderboards with 11.5 points.

Divya Deshmukh is giving up the lead

India’s Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh led the pack in her match against World Women’s Chess Champion Ju Wenjun on Sunday. All she needed to do was what she did in her opening round against the same opponent: take something positive from the game. However, it was not easy. Playing with the white pieces, Divya enjoyed a commendable start to the game, handling a closed Ruy López with poise and confidence. However, Ju Wenjun gradually gained control of the initiative with her own energetic royal expansion.The Chinese grandmaster’s aggressive advance on the gah pawn created sustained tactical threats, while the highly active rook game piled on the pressure. Ju’s precise moves, including 32…g3 and 33…Rxf2, won the material and forced very favorable simplifications. The world champion moved smoothly into the winning rook, systematically converting her extra pawn to overcome Divya in a grueling 69-move encounter. With this defeat, Divya surrendered her top spot in the points table. The 20-year-old Indian is now second with 8.5 points.

Elsewhere: Magnus Carlsen back to winning ways, Koner Humpy’s struggles continue

It was a day of pure redemption for five-time world champion and local hero Magnus Carlsen. Having already conceded three classic losses in the tournament, Carlsen was desperate to find his mojo. He did just that when he beat Alireza Firouzja, the very player who beat him in the opening round. Carlsen’s victory also completed a rare statistical survey of Norwegian chess this year, as the 6th round ensured that every single classic game ended in a white victory.In the women’s section, Koneru Humpa’s tough ride continued with a tie-break loss to Bibisara Assaubayeva, who now returns to the top of the points table with 9.5 points. Humpy remains at the bottom with 5.5 points. In the next match, Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Jiner defeated defending Norwegian chess champion Anna Muzychuk.