Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh Norway Chess Showdown
The tournament saw several exciting matches, including a thrilling comeback by Carlsen and a see-saw classical match between Humpy and Ju Wenjun, and Carlsen praised the tournament for its unique format and high level of competition, while Muzychuk praised the tournament for its strong field and challenging format, and the event was streamed live on Chess24 and other platforms, and was attended by top players from around the world.
Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh made history by defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess 2025, but the victory was marred by racist comments on social media, while Carlsen's frustrated reaction went viral, and despite the backlash, Gukesh's grandfather defended Carlsen's behavior, highlighting his grandson's achievement.
The match between Gukesh and Carlsen was a dramatic turn of events, with Gukesh initially in a disadvantageous position, capitalizing on a rare error by Carlsen to seal the victory in Round 6. However, Carlsen bounced back to win his seventh Norway Chess title after a stunning final round, escaping a lost position against Arjun Erigaisi to take a draw and guarantee the title. Gukesh finished third, while Fabiano Caruana finished second, after letting a win slip against Gukesh in the final round.
In the women's tournament, Anna Muzychuk won the title, earning 700,000 NOK ($61,617), after drawing with Vaishali in the classical game and then winning the armageddon game to secure the title. The women's tournament was also closely contested, with Lei finishing second, leapfrogging Humpy in the final round, and Humpy finishing third. The tournament featured a unique format, with players facing each other twice at classical chess, and then fighting for an additional half-point in armageddon.
The Norway Chess tournament was notable for its dramatic final round, which saw Carlsen escape a lost position and Caruana let a win slip, and it is expected to be a major event in the chess calendar for years to come, with its unique format and high level of competition, and Carlsen's win marked his seventh Norway Chess title, while Muzychuk's win was her first Norway Chess title.