World champion D Gukesh committed a costly blunder against American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana in the final round to finish third, as five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen clinched a record-extending seventh Norway Chess title here.
Gukesh, after being in a disadvantageous position against 2018 Norway Chess champion Fabiano Caruana, tried to stage a late comeback but ran out of time and committed a blunder, instantly realising his chances had slipped away.
Gukesh offered a handshake, grimaced, closed his eyes, and buried his face in both hands in frustration.
It was a golden opportunity for the young Indian world champion to win his maiden Norway Chess title in only his second appearance, after a roller-coaster tournament that saw him start on a poor note before turning things around with impressive Classical wins over Magnus Carlsen, compatriot Arjun Erigaisi, and China’s Wei Yi. Defending champion Carlsen, who was the overnight leader with 15 points after round 9, ended the tournament with 16 points after fashioning the great escape against GM Erigaisi and steering the game to a draw in the 10th round on Friday. Gukesh finished third — the same as in the 2023 edition — with 14.5 points, while Caruana was second with 15.5 points. Erigaisi finished fifth with 13 points.
Erigaisi won the Armageddon tie-break against Carsen following the miraculous draw by the Norwegian, but it did not matter in the end as the five-time world champion had already secured a point with the stalemate to win the title.
While Gukesh quietly walked out of the arena after losing to Caruana, Carlsen said he had to “literally fight for his life” to stay in the match against Arjun Erigaisi.
A defeat for the Norwegian would have been catastrophic, as the Gukesh-Caruana game was still in progress, and a Classical win for either would have dashed his hopes of a seventh Norway Chess title and the accompanying prize purse of approximately USD 69,500.
In fact, had Gukesh managed to draw his game against the American Grandmaster, he would have secured the title—provided Carlsen had lost his Classical encounter against Erigaisi. Under the Norway Chess format, a Classical win earns three points, while a draw gives each player one point. A drawn game is followed by an Armageddon tie-break to decide the winner, who is awarded an additional half point.
Anna Muzychuk wins women’s title
In the women’s section, overnight leader and two-time world blitz champion, Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk won the title with 16.5 points despite an Armageddon tie-break loss to India’s R. Vaishali in the final round.
Muzychuk’s draw in the classical game against the Indian earned both players a point each, while Vaishali secured another half a point by beating the Ukrainian in the Armageddon sudden death to finish on 11 points.
Had Vaishali defeated Muzychuk — who was on 15.5 points overnight — in the Classical game, she would have deprived the Ukrainian Grandmaster of three points, which would have propelled Koneru Humpy to the title had the two-time world rapid champion too got the better of Chinese world champion Ju Wenjun in the Classical game.
Unfortunately, Humpy, who was on 13.5 points overnight after round 9, could only manage a draw with white pieces to earn one point. She got another half point by overcoming Wenjun in the Armageddon tie-break to earn 1.5 points, and finish with 15 points and a third-place finish.