Grandmasters to Gunslingers: Carlsen, Gukesh, and a Wild West break

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Stavanger: Gukesh D wanted one more shot with the axe. Arjun Erigaisi didn't mind trying out a seat on the pony. Vaishali Rameshbabu took aim with the air rifle. Koneru Humpy couldn't stop beaming after her shots landed on target.
India's chess stars rarely give much away — in emotion, expression, or even words — once a tournament is underway. With blinkers on, all their focus has been firmly on the board during Norway Chess here.
But for a couple of hours on the first rest day, Friday, they let their guard down. At Ålgård's Westernbyen, a rustic outdoor getaway about half an hour's drive from Stavanger, the Norway Chess Games posed a very different kind of challenge — far removed from the quiet, indoor intensity of classical chess.
Of shooting with an air rifle. Of hurling a heavy axe at a target and making sure it sticks. Of landing a horseshoe on a distant pole. Of striking the perfect pose with a horse.
Every year, Norway Chess plans a new surprise as part of the Games — kept under wraps even from the players. On Thursday, his 19th birthday, Gukesh said he felt confident tackling anything sports-related but admitted he wasn't so sure about his cooking skills — a nod to last year's challenge.
As he arrived at Westernbyen on a gloomy afternoon, Gukesh took a moment to scan the place and figure out what lay ahead. Posters reading 'Wanted — Gukesh, the Chennai sharpshooter' were pasted around the grounds, adding to the intrigue. Every player had their own, including 'Magnus, the lone GOAT Carlsen.'
But once the games got underway, the Indian world champion began to warm up to it. Paired with fellow world champion Ju Wenjun of China, Gukesh was eager to try everything — and, true to form, excel at it.
He was among the few to nail the horseshoe challenge, and though none of his axe throws initially stuck to the target, he was determined to have another crack at it once the activities wrapped up. Sure enough, he nailed it on his final attempt.
Vaishali was paired with American Fabiano Caruana, and Arjun with Humpy. The two Indians often chatted in Telugu. Arjun took a keen interest in trying different poses with the pony, while Humpy's shooting skills — last tested years ago at childhood balloon stalls — remained sharp. She wished her daughter had been there and proudly kept the sheet that proved her two shots had pierced the circle.
'Maybe a second career awaits,' she joked.
After an hour of light-hearted competition and plenty of smiles, the winning pair was declared: Carlsen and his wife, Ella Victoria Malone.