what a dramatic twist at the 2025 Norway Chess tournament! Nineteen-year-old Indian Grandmaster and reigning World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh pulled off his first classic win against none other than Magnus Carlsen, the former World No. 1. The Round 6 match was pretty intense — you could feel the pressure. Carlsen, caught in a time crunch, made a surprising blunder with 52…Ne2+, and that opened the door for Gukesh to take control and ultimately snatch the win. With having a intense and uncharacteristic response of magnus Carlson.
And honestly, it was a bit shocking to see Carlsen’s reaction. He slammed the table in frustration and just stormed out without saying a word to the press. People on social media were quick to jump on that, calling him a “sore loser” and all that.
On the flip side, Gukesh kept it humble. He called it a “lucky day” and mentioned he didn’t really want to win that way. For a good chunk of the game, he was in a tough spot, but his determination and smart tactics flipped the situation in his favor.
This win is especially noteworthy since Carlsen had been pretty critical of Gukesh’s classical game before. Now, Gukesh sits with 8½ points, just a hair behind the co-leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, with four rounds still to go. It’s a big moment for Indian chess, following last year’s historic win by Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa over Carlsen at the same tournament.
So, Gukesh’s victory is more than just a personal achievement; it highlights the rising wave of young Indian talent making a mark in the chess world. Beating Carlsen, someone he’s looked up to for so long, feels like the start of something new in chess, where up-and-coming stars are ready to take on the giants.
