Magnus Carlsen took his seventh Norway Chess title in a thriller of a concluding round on June 6, 2025, in Stavanger, as World Champion D Gukesh’s hopes went up in smoke with a loss to Fabiano Caruana. Carlsen’s draw with Arjun Erigaisi, combined with Gukesh’s error-strewn defeat, sealed the Norwegian champion’s triumph with 16 points. Gukesh finished third, with Anna Muzychuk claiming the women’s crown. The tournament testified to Indian chess’s breakthrough but also to Carlsen’s unbroken authority.
Carlsen’s Resilience Wins Title
World top-ranked Magnus Carlsen took his seventh Norway Chess title in a closely contested draw against India’s Arjun Erigaisi in the final round. Half-a-point back, Gukesh needed to beat Fabiano Caruana and see Carlsen lose to take the title. But Carlsen, playing second as Black, turned around a life-and-death position after 40 moves into a draw by employing two knights and a rook to repel Erigaisi’s attack. “I am content but I had the fight,” Carlsen replied, in quotes from Chess.com. His 16 points only just beat Caruana (15.5) and Gukesh (14.5). While he lost round-six to Gukesh, Carlsen’s steadiness—defeating Caruana and Erigaisi in earlier rounds—was the clincher. X posts on @NorneyChess celebrated his “spectacular show,” applauding his ability to come back from a point of near-defeat.
Gukesh’s Heartbreak in Last Round
World Champion D Gukesh, aged 19, entered the final round with a chance to win his first Norway Chess trophy. Against Caruana with Black in a Two Knights Defense, Gukesh played aggressively, noted Hikaru Nakamura on X: “Gukesh is going ALL IN against Fabiano.” The game hung in the balance, with Caruana enjoying a winning advantage by move 47. A pawn push mistake (47.f4) provided Gukesh with a chance, but he himself erred by advancing a pawn to a queen instead of capturing a bishop, resulting in a knight fork, which led him to lose the game. With two seconds left, Gukesh withdrew, obviously devastated, Times of India reported. His third-place finish, behind Caruana, capped a rollercoaster tournament that included a historic win over Carlsen.
Indian Chess Flourishes Amid Disappointments
India’s chess squad was in hot bloom, with Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi pushing the world’s finest to their limits. Gukesh’s round-six victory against Carlsen, his first in classical chess, was praised by India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on X as “an exceptional achievement.” Erigaisi, although defeated by Carlsen in round four, pushed him to the wire in round nine, finishing fifth on 12.5 points. The Guardian wrote about India’s increasing dominance in a year since Praggnanandhaa had beaten Carlsen in 2024. However, Gukesh’s defeat in the final round brought out the nasty aspect of Norway Chess’s 10-second increment time control that he admitted led to frantic scrambles. “99 out of 100 times, I would lose,” said Gukesh of his victory over Rokke, reports Chess.com
Women’s Tournament: Muzychuk Wins
In Women’s Norway Chess 2025, Anna Muzychuk won the title with 16.5 points, losing in Armageddon to India’s R Vaishali in the final round. Her draw in her classical game guaranteed it for her, as Koneru Humpy, needing a win against Ju Wenjun, could only draw. Her earlier win over Ju Wenjun in round nine gave her a two-point cushion, as per Chess.com. Humpy came third behind Lei Tingjie after a good tournament where she led until a round-nine mistake. X posts from @chess24com praised Muzychuk’s “clinical” play, while Vaishali’s win over Humpy in round six underscored India’s depth in the women’s field. The equal prize fund of 1,690,000 NOK (~$167,000) for both tournaments highlighted Norway Chess’s commitment to gender equality.
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