Atreyo Mukhopadhyay
Norway Chess has been one of the biggest annual events since its inception in 2013. The players are from the best in the world. It used to be a field of 10 in the first 11 years. In 2024, it came down to six. This made the competition more intense. This year’s cast makes the tournament in the city of Stavanger from May 26-June 6 mouth-watering.
The top draw, world No. 1, and six-time winner of his home event, Magnus Carlsen is a runaway favourite in the tournament featuring the top five players in the world and the No. 8. This includes No. 3 D Gukesh and No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi. This is the first time that there are two Indians in the fray. Viswanathan Anand participated seven times and finished second in 2015. P Harikrishna (sixth in 2016) and R Praggnanandhaa (fourth in 2024) are the other Indians to have played in Norway Chess.
Gukesh made an impression by finishing third in his only previous appearance there in 2023. He is one of the biggest names in this edition. The double-leg, round-robin gala with no draws pits him against Carlsen for the first time after he won the world title last December. The Norwegian had downplayed his chances at last year’s Candidates and was lukewarm in his response after he became the youngest-ever world champion in Singapore.
“I’ve had good memories from Norway,” Gukesh told Norway Chess. “Playing Magnus in a classical game will be a fun challenge. For the spectators, it is about the world champion versus the No. 1. It sounds exciting…. It is a new level (for me). But I see it as a challenge to prove to myself that I can handle this. Even though the expectations are high, I can meet them if I keep working hard,” he said.
Expectations high despite poor last outing
After beginning 2025 with a second-place finish at the Tata Steel meet in Wijk aan Zee in February, Gukesh fared poorly in the freestyle frenzy that followed. It’s a different format and a lot of players are still getting used to it. A lot was not read into those performances. But as top seed at the Superbet Classic in Romania earlier this month, he finished seventh in a field of 10 with four points.
In 22 classical games after the world championship, Gukesh has won six, drawn 13 and lost three. Almost all the outings were against players rated below him, which will cost him ranking points. Ding Liren, whom Gukesh beat in the title match, played in Norway as the defending world champion last year and finished last. It hardly made a noise. If Gukesh flops, all hell will break loose.
“For Gukesh, it’s not about proving anything or the fear of losing,” GM Sandipan Chanda told RevSportz. “If he is aiming higher, say reaching 2850 in Elo ratings, there will be ups and downs. These are unavoidable when you are chasing a dream. I think these boys are hardened enough. Instead of thinking of defending his reputation, Gukesh will focus on improving.”
Pressure on Erigaisi to show he belongs there
Erigaisi had a horror start to the year at Tata Steel. Soon after crossing 2800, he tied for 10th in the 14-player competition with 5.5 points from 13 rounds. He was the second seed, who won two, drew seven and lost four games. This pushed him below 2800. The redeeming feature was beating Gukesh and No. 6 Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the last two rounds.
Although the spotlight is not as much on him compared to Gukesh, Erigaisi will be watched. His rise was downplayed in certain quarters because he played mostly in open tournaments against opponents not as big as in closed events. In Stavanger, the competition is as strong as it can be.
“One bad outing doesn’t mean he doesn’t belong there,” said Chanda, who is associated with the WestBridge Anand Chess Academy, where Gukesh and Erigaisi sharpen their skills. “Arjun won’t feel out of place. He ended Tata Steel on a high. These players are ambitious and hungry to achieve. They grew up watching Carlsen and believe they are the best. They are not going to sit on their laurels.”
Gukesh and Erigaisi were not expected to do as well as they did last year. Now, they are. Slips that went unnoticed will get magnified. One bad game and those who said Gukesh is not worthy of being a world champion will start screaming. He is turning 19 on the third playing day of the event on May 29 and Erigaisi 22 on September 3. The pressure will be immense and the test toughest. For the prodigious youngsters, this will be a game of survival of the fittest.