Norway Chess 2025: D Gukesh Blunders Against Caruana As Magnus Carlsen Clinches Title For Seventh Time

 

 

 

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen added another feather in his cap by clinching the Norway Chess 2025 title at Stavanger on Friday, June 6. The five-time World Champion earned the crown after a dramatic final round that India's D Gukesh, his closest challenger, make blunder at the last hurdle. Carlsen, playing with white, was held to a draw by India’s rising sensation Arjun Erigaisi in the eighth round, keeping the doors wide open for Gukesh, who needed a win against American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana to catch up with the local hero on the leaderboard. However, under immense pressure, Gukesh blundered in a balanced position, losing the game on the spot and with it, his chance at winning the title. Gukesh blundered his queen promotion move with just two seconds left on the clock, resigning on the spot in his final-round clash against Fabiano Caruana.

 

The costly slip not only ended Gukesh’s hopes of overtaking Magnus Carlsen on the leaderboard but also handed the Norway Chess 2025 title to the World No. 1, who had earlier drawn his classical game against Erigaisi. The victory marks Carlsen’s sixth triumph at his home event and serves as a reminder of his enduring dominance in the classical format, despite stepping back from World Championship competition.

 

He finished with 16 points, half a point ahead of Caruana, who capitalised on Gukesh’s error to leap into second place with 15.5 points. Gukesh, who has had a phenomenal year as the reigning World Champion, had to settle for third with 14.5 points.Earlier, in a thrilling Round 9 encounter, the youngest-ever Chess World Champion defeated China's formidable Wei Yi, climbing to 14.5 points and narrowing the gap between him and tournament leader Magnus Carlsen to just half a point. In the women’s section, vernight leader and two-time world blitz champion, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk won the title with 16.5 points despite an Armageddon tie-break loss to India’s R. Vaishali in the final round. Muzychuk’s draw in the classical game against the Indian earned both players a point each, while Vaishali secured another half a point by beating the Ukrainian in the Armageddon sudden death to finish on 11 points.

 

The Norway Chess format gives three points for a classical win. In the event of a draw, the players share one point each, which is followed by the Armageddon tie-break, where the winner earns another half point. Had Vaishali defeated Muzychuk -- who was on 15.5 points overnight -- in the Classical game, she would have deprived the Ukrainian Grandmaster of three points, which would have propelled Koneru Humpy to the title had the two-time world rapid champion too got the better of Chinese world champion Ju Wenjun in the Classical game. Unfortunately, Humpy, who was on 13.5 points overnight after round 9, could only manage a draw with white pieces to earn one point. She got another half point by overcoming Wenjun in the Armageddon tie-break to earn 1.5 points, and finish with 15 points.