Stavanger (Norway), June 2, 2025 — In a landmark victory, reigning World Chess Champion Dommaraju Gukesh defeated former World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in Round 6 of Norway Chess 2025, marking his first-ever classical win over the Norwegian legend. The 19-year-old Indian grandmaster turned the game around from a losing position in a dramatic encounter on Sunday.
With this triumph, Gukesh became only the second Indian to beat Carlsen in a classical game at the Norway Chess tournament, following in the footsteps of Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
Carlsen controlled much of the match, pressing from a superior position, but Gukesh held his nerve and capitalized on errors in time trouble to flip the game in his favor. The unexpected result sent shockwaves through the tournament and lifted Gukesh to third in the standings with 8.5 points, just behind Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana.
Just days earlier, in Round One on May 27, Carlsen had defeated Gukesh in their first classical encounter since the latter claimed the world title. That game, marking Carlsen’s return to individual classical chess after nearly a year, featured a signature king hunt by the former champion.
Gukesh’s coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, commended the teen’s composure and resilience:
“We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and resourcefulness. He knew he was dead lost for so long, yet he kept fighting. The lower the time got, the more chances he had to shift the game. I don’t think he intended to win, but he’ll certainly be pleased with how it ended.”
With only a few rounds remaining, Gukesh’s victory has injected renewed suspense into the tournament, with the race for the top spot heating up dramatically.
