Teenage chess sensation and reigning world champion D Gukesh pulled off yet another remarkable victory over world number one Magnus Carlsen at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 tournament in Zagreb, extending his win streak to five and establishing himself as the sole leader with 10 points.
Carlsen, who had the advantage early in the rapid game with the white pieces, blundered with a miscalculated pawn push to b4. Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, capitalized swiftly, turning the game in his favour. The Norwegian, with less than 30 seconds on the clock, saw no path to recovery and quietly resigned, acknowledging defeat with a handshake but no eye contact.
This marks Gukesh’s second straight win over Carlsen in a month, following his stunning victory in Round 6 of Norway Chess. With his latest triumph, Gukesh now leads the leaderboard ahead of Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who trails by two points, while Carlsen lags further behind with six points.
Commentating on the official stream, former world champion Garry Kasparov criticized Carlsen’s b4 blunder and remarked, “Now we can question Magnus’ domination because this is not just his second loss to Gukesh — it’s a convincing one.”
Reflecting on his performance, Gukesh admitted a rough start but expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “Beating Magnus is always special, and this gives a bit more confidence. I had a horrible opening.”
The tournament continues with Gukesh firmly in command, and the chess world watching his meteoric rise with growing awe.
