Indian chess prodigy Gukesh stuns Magnus Carlsen once again: Details
What's the story
Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh has stunned the world by defeating reigning World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the sixth round of Grand Chess Tour's SuperUnited Rapid tournament in Zagreb. The match was played with Gukesh playing as Black and ended with Carlsen resigning after 49 moves. This is Gukesh's second straight win over Carlsen, having previously defeated him at Norway Chess last month.
Tournament standings
Gukesh on top of tournament standings
The win against Carlsen has put Gukesh at the top of the tournament standings with a total of 10 points from six games. The Indian chess star had started his day with a loss to Jan-Krzysztof Duda but bounced back by beating Alireza Firouzja and fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa before defeating Carlsen. "I wasn't too disheartened after the first-round loss," Gukesh said after his string of victories.
Match dynamics
Gukesh stuns Carlsen again
Just days before their encounter, Carlsen had referred to Gukesh as one of the "presumably weaker players" in the tournament. However, when they met on the board, Gukesh was unfazed by this remark. He took control of the match with a sharp 26...d5 move after Carlsen seemed to have an upper hand initially. As pressure mounted with his position deteriorating and clock ticking under a minute, Carlsen resigned after 49 moves.
Expert opinions
'Gukesh didn't just capitalize on mistakes-he played better': Kasparov
Gukesh's controlled and assured performance against Carlsen has drawn praise from chess legends. Garry Kasparov, commenting on the match, said, "Now we can question Magnus's domination. This isn't just another loss. It's a convincing one. Gukesh didn't just capitalize on mistakes-he played better." The Indian prodigy's victory is a testament to his growth as an equal among the game's biggest names.
Statement
Carlsen not enjoying chess
Following the conclusion of the game, Carlsen stated that he is not enjoying playing chess at the moment. "Honestly, I am not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I don't feel any flow at all when I'm playing. I'm constantly constantly hesitating and it's just really poor right now," he stated. Notably, Carlsen will face Gukesh again in two more matches, which will be played in the blitz format. The Norwegian would be raring to bounce back.