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Magnus Carlsen won the Norway Chess 2025 in Stavanger after D Gukesh’s final-round blunder against Fabiano Caruana.
Magnus Carlsen adds another title to his legendary career (AFP Photo)
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen added to his legendary career by winning the Norway Chess 2025 title in his hometown of Stavanger on Friday. The five-time World Champion secured the crown after a dramatic final round where his closest challenger, reigning World Champion D. Gukesh, faltered at the last hurdle.
Carlsen, playing with white, drew against India’s rising star Arjun Erigaisi in the final classical game. This result left a narrow opportunity for Gukesh, who needed to win against American grandmaster Fabiano Caruana to catch up with Carlsen on the leaderboard.
However, under immense pressure, Gukesh made a critical error in a balanced position, losing the game immediately and with it, his chance at the title.
Gukesh blundered his queen promotion move with just two seconds left on the clock, resigning on the spot in his final-round clash against Fabiano Caruana.
This costly mistake not only ended Gukesh’s hopes of overtaking Magnus Carlsen but also handed the Norway Chess 2025 title to the World No. 1, who had earlier drawn his game against Erigaisi.
This victory marks Carlsen’s sixth triumph at his home event and underscores his enduring dominance in the classical format, despite stepping back from World Championship competition. He finished with 16 points, half a point ahead of Caruana, who capitalized on Gukesh’s error to claim second place with 15.5 points.
Gukesh, who has had a phenomenal year as the reigning World Champion, had to settle for third with 14.5 points.
Earlier, in a thrilling Round 9 encounter, the youngest-ever Chess World Champion defeated China’s formidable Wei Yi, climbing to 14.5 points and narrowing the gap between him and tournament leader Magnus Carlsen to just half a point.
In the women’s section, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk emerged victorious in a tightly contested finale. Muzychuk, needing only a draw in her final classical round against India’s R. Vaishali, played with calculated composure to ensure a shared point.
This result left the door open for India’s Koneru Humpy, who needed a win against China’s Ju Wenjun to take the top spot. However, Humpy couldn’t convert her chances, and the game ended in a draw.
(With IANS Inputs)
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A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you live updates, breaking news, opinions and photos from the wide world of sport. Follow @News18Sports
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