All eyes were on D Gukesh before the start of Norway Chess. The Indian was part of a star-studded field about six months after becoming the world champion. It’s one of the strongest invitational tournaments, where the lowest rated player is the world No. 8. The others are the top five in the world, including Magnus Carlsen, arguably the best player in history.
With one round to go, all eyes are on Gukesh again. The player who turned 19 on the fourth day of the event is trailing the world No. 1 by half-a-point. Carlsen has 15 and Gukesh 14.5. Given that the teenager was the No. 3 before the competition started, it’s a not exactly a startling development. But, the way he turned things around makes it one of the most notable performances of the year.
He could not have been in the best shape mentally when he landed in the city of Stavanger. Gukesh had finished seventh in a field of 10 at an event in Romania, with just four points from nine rounds. He fared worse in the freestyle competitions before that. And in Norway, he suffered outright defeats against Carlsen and Arjun Erigaisi in the first two rounds of the double-leg, all play all contest. The signs were ominous.
What the Chennai player did after that may or may not fetch him the title. Gukesh faces Fabiano Caruana of the USA with black pieces in the 10th and last round, while Carlsen with black takes on Erigaisi. The way he turned a sinking campaign around will be remembered for his courage under pressure apart from his extraordinary powers of calculation. It will enhance his reputation and lift him in the eyes of his peers.
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Gukesh became one of the handful of players in recent times and only the second Indian after R Praggnanandhaa last year to defeat Carlsen in classical chess under normal time in this prestigious event. He was modesty personified after that and said he would have lost that game “99 out of 100 times”. On the other hand, the Norwegian maverick praised his opponent’s tenacity to fight.
The Romanian disaster has pushed Gukesh out of the top three in world rankings. In the list released in June, he is placed fifth. Carlsen and the USA’s Hikaru Nakamura remain the top two. It’s Erigaisi at 3 and Caruana at 4. That was inevitable. But then, what followed in Norway should help him improve his rating points and ranking. In FIDE’s live chart, which is not a ratified version, he is back at No. 3.
This happened because of some spectacular results. In this tournament, wins achieved within the normal time control earns three points. A win in the tie-break gets 1.5, where the player losing also bags one. This makes outright victories precious and Gukesh has secured those against Caruana, Nakamura and Erigaisi. He has also beaten Wei Yi, the No. 8 from China.
Gukesh had beaten Caruana with white in the tie-breaker in their first meeting. Expectations will be high. Eyes will be on the women’s competition as well, where Koneru Humpy is placed second and R Vaishali fifth. However, how Gukesh does will be most keenly followed. He has done commendably to silence a few critics and now comes the chance to go for it.
Also Read: Norway Chess 2025: Gukesh and Carlsen neck and neck into final round, Humpy has one-point lead