Norway Chess | Gukesh overcomes Wei Yi problem, presses laborious for title with Carlsen

Reigning world champion D. Gukesh crossed one other hurdle, beating China’s Wei Yi within the ninth and penultimate spherical to earn three full factors and emerge as a prime contender, together with Norwegian star Magnus Carlsen, for the celebrated Norway Chess title in Stavanger.

With one spherical to go, Gukesh is positioned second on 14.5 factors, whereas five-time world champion Carlsen — who fought again from a shedding place to defeat American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana and earn full factors — is simply half-a-point forward within the six-player double round-robin event on Thursday (June 5, 2025).

Gukesh will tackle Caruana, whereas Carlsen will play Arjun Erigaisi within the deciding tenth spherical, with each hoping to show some extent in one-upmanship by claiming the title and a $69,000 prize purse.

If defending champion Carlsen wins, it will likely be his seventh Norway Chess title courting again to 2016, whereas Gukesh can be hoping for his maiden triumph in two outings right here.

One other American GM, Hikaru Nakamura on 13 factors, has an outdoor probability, offered the opposite outcomes go in his favour.

Nakamura left Arjun Erigaisi excessive and dry, crushing the Indian’s problem within the Armageddon tie-break after steering the sport towards a draw, although each had greater than 40 minutes on the clock.

Gukesh seemed extra assured and refreshed after the second relaxation day on Wednesday (June 4, 2025) and compelled his Chinese language opponent to resign on the fortieth transfer.

A missed Bishop f7 by Wei Yi noticed Gukesh, who performed with white, pounce on the chance and acquire the decisive edge.

“I simply thought it was fairly a nice place to play. After which he [Wei Yi] missed this Bishop h7, which was form of cute,” mentioned Gukesh after his third Classical win within the event, with the 2 earlier ones coming in opposition to world No. 1 Carlsen and country-mate Erigaisi on successive days after the primary relaxation day.

“Proper now, I am proud of the sport that I performed right this moment. Tomorrow [Friday], hopefully, one other good sport I can play. And regardless of the end result shall be, we’ll see later. However yeah, simply specializing in enjoying the sport,” Gukesh informed the event broadcaster.

The 19-year-old world champion could have a troublesome job readily available when he takes on Caruana within the ultimate spherical, provided that the American had been main the factors desk earlier than Carlsen got here again from an unfavourable place to show the tables on the 2018 Norway Chess champion.

With some humorous variations of Carlsen’s meltdown following his loss to Gukesh going viral, {the teenager} mentioned someplace down the road it was serving to the chess develop.

“Yeah, I imply, dad confirmed me one [of those funny versions of the video]. I am positive there are lots of extra. I imply, it is good for chess. It isn’t solely in regards to the strikes. Some folks get interested in the feelings. All these memes and stuff actually helps… I am glad I might contribute,” added Gukesh.

Carlsen beats Caruana

Carlsen, enjoying white, took benefit of blunder on the forty eighth transfer to defeat Caruana after the American had issues going his approach for a serious a part of the sport. Carlsen was stunned how Fabiano gave away the initiative.

“Actually, it appeared to me that Fabiano was not in nice form right this moment. There have been a number of of his choices that I did not perceive. From a form of nothing place, I managed to get an increasing number of benefit. It was form of not probably the most inspiring sport, as a result of it felt like just about a sport that I gained, as a result of he [Caruana] was not at his finest. However I will take it, in fact,” mentioned Carlsen.

The five-time world champion added that the win had given him a morale-booster forward of the final sport in opposition to Erigaisi.

Clearly, this [win] improves my state of affairs rather a lot. Erigaisi will at all times need to struggle. So, I am ready for a struggle, for positive.”

Humpy blows away an excellent alternative

Within the girls’s part, two-time world fast champion Koneru Humpy, enjoying with black items, blew away an excellent alternative to just about seal the title, shedding to Lei Tingjie of China.

Humpy, the in a single day chief, is now second with 13.5 factors, whereas 35-year-old Ukrainian GM Anna Muzychuk has taken a two-point lead over the Indian after decimating Chinese language world champion Ju Wenjun (12.5).

Humpy will tackle Ju within the ultimate spherical with a watch on three factors, and also will hope for Muzychuk to lose to R. Vaishali.

Thursday’s Outcomes (Spherical 9):

Open: Hikaru Nakamura (USA – 13 factors) bt Arjun Erigaisi (Ind – 11.5) in Armageddon tie-break; D Gukesh (Ind – 14.5) bt Wei Yi (Chn – 8); Magnus Carlsen (Nor – 15) bt Fabiano Caruana (USA – 12.5).

Ladies: R. Vaishali (Ind – 9.5) misplaced to Sara Khadem (Esp – 9); Ju Wenjun (Chn – 12.5) misplaced to Anna Muzychuk (Ukr – 15.5); Lei Tingjie (Chn – 13) bt Koneru Humpy (Ind – 13.5).