Norway Chess 2025: Can D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi beat Magnus Carlsen to the highest spot? Eventualities defined

One spherical is all that is still within the thirteenth version of the Norway Chess, and the ultimate day of the occasion is anticipated to witness a high-voltage showdown between defending champion Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh and Hikaru Nakamura. It’s been fairly the topsy-turvy trip for everybody concerned, together with reigning world champion Gukesh who started his marketing campaign with back-to-back defeats in opposition to Carlsen and fellow Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi however was again on monitor with a victory over Nakamura in Spherical 3.

World champion Gukesh, who had turned 19 a day after his victory over Nakamura, would
go on to defeat Carlsen within the sixth spherical
, beating the world No 1 for the primary time in his profession. The sport made headlines not only for Gukesh’s very good turnaround from a shedding place but in addition for Carlsen’s response to the loss –
angrily slamming his fist on the desk
that toppled the items on the board, taking his opponent and everybody else on the corridor abruptly.

And regardless of admitting to being mentally affected by the loss to the purpose the place he claims defending his title on the occasion is not going to matter to him any extra,
Carlsen continues to occupy the highest spot on the standings
, main Gukesh by the barest of margins.

Gukesh has had a combined run since being topped the youngest world champion in chess historical past together with his victory over Chinese language Grandmaster Ding Liren in December; he had completed runner-up on the Tata Metal Chess in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands initially of the 12 months after shedding to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa within the tie-breaks, however would flop on the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour occasions in Weissenhaus and Paris that befell in February and April respectively.

Gukesh’s battle within the Freestyle format appeared to have shaken his confidence within the Classical format as effectively, with the Chennai lad struggling to make an influence on the Superbet Basic in Bucharest Romania.

Gukesh, nevertheless, seems to have regained his contact in Norway and has silenced his critics, who had been starting to doubt if he actually deserved the tag of ‘world champion’ and belonged among the many sport’s elite, together with his victories over Carlsen, Nakamura and others.

Can Gukesh, or Arjun for that matter end high of the standings after the conclusion of the ultimate spherical on Friday?

How Gukesh and Arjun can end high of the 2025 Norway Chess standings

Gukesh at present has 14.5 factors to his identify after his victory over Chinese language No 1 Wei Yi within the ninth spherical on Thursday, and is half-a-point behind Carlsen, who regained the highest spot from Fabiano Caruana after defeating the American GM on the identical day.

After Spherical 9, the stakes couldn’t be larger at #NorwayChess 🔥

Magnus Carlsen leads with 15 factors after an enormous classical win over Fabiano, however Gukesh is simply half a degree behind with one spherical to go. Hikaru sits in third with 13, nonetheless in rivalry.

In Norway Chess Ladies,… pic.twitter.com/hDeb3lAU9Y

— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 5, 2025

The one approach Gukesh will get to win Norway Chess is that if Carlsen fails to win his closing sport – both by shedding or being held to a draw. Ought to Carlsen lose to Arjun within the closing spherical, a draw will suffice for Gukesh even when he goes on to lose the Armageddon playoff in opposition to Caruana.

American GM Nakamura, nevertheless, isn’t far  behind on 13 factors, and will he defeat Wei in Spherical 10, Gukesh could have no possibility however to win his final sport.

The one different participant with a distant probability of ending on the high is Caruana, who’s fourth within the standings with 12.5 factors. Not solely will he should defeat Gukesh, he may even be hoping Carlsen loses his closing sport in opposition to Arjun and Hikaru doesn’t gather greater than 1.5 factors out of the potential 3 in opposition to Wei.

Such a situation could have Caruana ending on the high with 15.5 factors, half-a-point forward of the second-placed Carlsen. There is also a two-way tie between Gukesh and Arjun on 14.5 factors for the third spot, which may even be a three-way tie if Hikaru pulls off an Armageddon victory.

Wei, the lowest-ranked amongst all of the gamers (No 8), is about to complete on the backside of the standings no matter his efficiency within the closing spherical.