Jonathan Manley
Rest days in Stavanger are always fun. Yesterday’s theme was the Wild West, and the players seemed to enjoy the sharpshooting shenanigans. If any game was likely to continue the gunslinging today, it was ‘Arjun Erigaisi versus Hikaru Nakamura. True to form, Erigaisi tried to complicate the position just out of the opening.
‘Arjun never backs down, never retreats!’ said Chess.com’s David Howell.
But he miscalculated and needed to call on all his resources to simplify and draw the ending. Fortune smiled on the Indian in the Armageddon tiebreak when an overconfident Nakamura, with Black, blundered his queen horribly in a totally winning position.
Wei Yi versus D Gukesh provided the real drama. Gukesh secured the two bishops in a closed position which appeared to favour Wei Yi’s knights. Gukesh patiently manoeuvred and with a timely pawn sacrifice opened up the position for his raking bishops, menacing Wei Y’s king. Wei Yi kept his nerve, exchanged queens and created mating threats of his own. Blitzing moved down to their final seconds, the advantage swayed back and forth before all chances fizzled out.
Also Read: Norway Chess 2025: Carlsen maintains lead, Erigaisi beats Nakamura
‘More twists and turns than a Hollywood thriller!’ said Jovanka Houska at Chess.com
Playing White, Wei Yi nursed a pawn advantage to win his third Armageddon game (his other victims Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen).
Carlsen admitted to being rusty – misplaying the opening and having to improvise. He drew and beat Caruana in the tiebreak. Carlsen increased his lead to 9.5 points, ahead of Caruana on 8. Gukesh and Erigaisi, in 4th and 5th place, have it all to do in the second half .
In the women’s competition, Humpy Koneru took the lead on 8.5 by beating Anna Muzychuk on 8. Vaishal Rameshbabu played the most impressive game of the day – some brilliant dynamic defence to defeat Sara Khadem.
