World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh pulled off a stunning victory against former World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in Round 6 of the ongoing Norway Chess 2025 tournament, turning the game around from a losing position on Sunday.
This marked Gukesh’s first-ever classical win over the Norwegian grandmaster. The 19-year-old also became the second Indian player to beat Carlsen in the history of the competition after Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
Carlsen had an upper hand over Gukesh for most of the time in the match, but in the end, he couldn’t control his nerves, and the teenager turned the tables around and went on to win the match.
With this win, D Gukesh jumped to third spot in the Norway Chess 2025 points table with 8.5 points, and now he is just one point behind Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana.
Earlier on May 27, the marquee clash of Round One at Norway Chess 2025 lived up to expectations as Magnus Carlsen launched a classic king hunt to defeat reigning World Champion D Gukesh in a thrilling encounter. This was their first classical match since Gukesh won the world title, and it also marked Carlsen’s return to individual classical chess after nearly a year.
Reacting to the upset victory, Gukesh’s coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, praised the teenager’s resilience and fighting spirit.
“We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and for his resourcefulness because I think he was aware that he was dead lost for so long, yet he kept kicking, he kept kicking, and the time went lower, the more chances he had to actually do something with the position. I don’t think his intention was to win that, but yeah, I’m sure he is happy,” Vishnu Prasanna said.
Notably, In the video now posted on the official X handle of Norway Chess, just after the win was sealed by Gukesh, Carlsen let out his emotions by banging the table, sending some pieces on falling on the board and down on the floor too. While he did not forget to shake Gukesh’s hand and give him a pat on his back as the Indian star tried collecting himself emotionally after a stunning win, Carlsen’s frustration with his own performance was visible.
Reacting to the victory, Gukesh’s coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, praised the teenager’s resilience and fighting spirit.”We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and his resourcefulness because I think he was aware that he was dead lost for so long, yet he kept kicking, he kept kicking, and the time went lower, the more chances he had to actually do something with the position. I do not think he intended to win that, but I am sure he is happy,” Vishnu Prasanna said.
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju also lauded Gukesh’s achievement.
Hardeep Singh Puri posted on X, “In one of the most spectacular comebacks, India’s @DGukesh plots his way to his first classical win against World No.1 Magnus Carlsen at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament in Stavanger! The epic comeback shocked his opponent and has established the dominance of India’s youth in whichever sports they choose. Heartiest congratulations, Gukesh. We are all proud of you!”
Kiren Rijiju also took to X, stating, “Well done @DGukesh! This first win over Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess 2025 is the beginning of achieving another milestone. Proud of you, Gukesh! You’ve shown the world what quiet confidence & fierce focus can achieve!”
The fierce and epic comeback of Gukesh marked the first-ever classical win over the Norwegian grandmaster. The 19-year-old also became the second Indian player to beat Carlsen in the competition’s history after Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
The win has added further excitement to the tournament, with the race for the top spot tightening as it enters its final rounds.
