Chess is a game played between two persons which Magnus Carlsen wins!
The world No. 1 turned a gradually deteriorating position against Arjun Erigaisi into a draw in the last round of Norway Chess. Even though he lost in the tie-breaker, the one point he secured was enough to win the biggest event of the year.
This was the Norwegian’s seventh title on his home turf. The difference between the previous six and this one was a regret. Carlsen couldn’t digest the defeat against D Gukesh in the sixth round. He made it evident by slamming his fist on the board. It was the biggest headline of world chess this year. After that, Carlsen also praised the Indian for his tenacity to fight even in lost situations.
That will be the biggest takeaway for Gukesh, who finished third behind Fabiano Caruana. In the last round, it was the youngster’s turn to blunder against the American. Despite that, it should rank as a satisfactory outing for the world champion. He was performing below his level heading into the event and there was also the pressure of expectations of competing in a star-studded field.
“It was a strong tournament. Every game was crucial,” Gukesh’s former coach Vishnu Prasanna told RevSportz. “Also, the time control was different from other events. The competition was close and the title was decided at the very end. The small moments became important. That Gukesh had a chance of winning the title until the last round means it was not a bad outcome for him.”
Gukesh was on a low after losing the first two rounds against Carlsen and Erigaisi. All those who downplayed his win in last year’s world championship match were getting ready. Then, the player who turned 19 on the fourth day of the event scripted a turnaround few foresaw. A first-ever win against Carlsen, defeating No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and No. 4 Erigaisi revived his campaign.
In the end, Gukesh finished with four wins in the classical time control. Only Caruana won as many and even Carlsen was behind these two on that count with three wins. Beating four players in a tournament featuring the world’s top five and the No. 8 is highly creditable. On the flip side, Gukesh also suffered four defeats, which spoiled his chances of winning the title.
“He would obviously have preferred to lose fewer games,” said Vishnu. “I don’t think he was weighed down by the pressure of expectations or what people might have been thinking when he was not doing well. He knows how to handle that. Probably, he is experimenting a bit and trying out a few things, which are not immediately visible to the onlooker.”
After a poor outing in Romania shortly before Norway, Gukesh had suffered in terms of rating points and ranking. From No. 3, he slipped to No. 5. Following the wins against Carlsen, Nakamura and Erigaisi — all placed above him in the ranking list of June — he can expect to move up again. More importantly for him, he will return with the knowledge that he can beat Carlsen.
“I may be the world champion, but not the best player in the world. Obviously, that is Magnus,” Gukesh had said after becoming the youngest-ever world champion. To beat the legend in the strongest event of the year synonymous with him is something Gukesh will not trade for anything. Not everybody can get Carlsen to express anguish on the board or make him wince.
Humpy finishes third
Erigaisi was the other Indian in the fray in the open section. He finished fifth after beating Carlsen on tie-breaker in the last round. Koneru Humpy was third in the women’s section and R Vaishali fifth. Like Gukesh, Humpy had a chance of winning the title until the last round.
Also Read: Gukesh has silenced critics in Norway, can he go all the way?