Reigning World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh pulled off a sensational upset at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament on Sunday, defeating former World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a dramatic Round 6 encounter. The 19-year-old Indian grandmaster, who was trailing for most of the match, staged a remarkable comeback to claim his first-ever classical victory over the Norwegian legend.
With this win, Gukesh becomes only the second Indian ever to defeat Carlsen in a classical game at Norway Chess, following in the footsteps of Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. The victory also propelled Gukesh to third place on the tournament leaderboard with 8.5 points — just one point behind co-leaders Carlsen and American GM Fabiano Caruana.
The match saw Carlsen dominate early on, pressing Gukesh into a seemingly hopeless position. However, the Indian prodigy displayed extraordinary resilience, capitalizing on Carlsen’s time pressure and uncharacteristic errors in the endgame.
Gukesh’s coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, lauded the teen’s mental fortitude. “We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and resourcefulness. He knew he was lost, but he just kept fighting. As the clock ticked down, his chances grew — and he seized the opportunity,” Prasanna remarked.
The victory comes just days after Carlsen had defeated Gukesh in the opening round of the tournament, marking their first classical meeting since Gukesh claimed the world title. That earlier encounter had also marked Carlsen’s return to individual classical chess after nearly a year.
As Norway Chess 2025 enters its final rounds, Gukesh’s stunning win has reignited the race for the title and added fresh intensity to the competition. With only a handful of points separating the top contenders, the tournament is poised for an electrifying finish.
