&w=3840&q=100)
D Gukesh fights back from 'nearly lost' position to beat Arjun Erigaisi, overtakes Carlsen in Norway Chess standings
Chess world champion Gukesh Dommaraju defeated Arjun Erigaisi for the first time in classical chess at Norway Chess 2025 on Monday after making another comeback from worse-to-lost position. read more
Chess world champion D Gukesh is on a spree of comeback wins as he stunned compatriot Arjun Erigaisi for the first time in classical chess on Monday, as the 19-year-old scripted another turnaround from a worse-to-lost position at Norway Chess 2025. Gukesh had done something similar on Sunday to secure his first-ever classical chess victory over world No.1 Magnus Carlsen .
On Monday, Gukesh had another challenging match, despite playing with the white pieces. Erigaisi, known for his aggressive gameplay, displayed his strong wits on the board in a crucial middlegame, pushing Gukesh to the brink.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Gukesh returns from 'nearly lost' position to beat Arjun
Even the commentators labelled Gukesh's position as 'nearly lost,' however, the 19-year-old has shown it time and time again that it's not over till it's over. Just as he did against 34-year-old Norwegian, Carlsen, Gukesh kept looking for a counterplay and when nothing was possible, he took the game into a time scramble by finding the necessary defensive moves.
🤝 The handshake!
Gukesh Dommaraju beats Arjun Erigaisi for the first time in classical chess! Another win from a much worse, or nearly lost, position!#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/4uz4hFiJ5c — chess24 (@chess24com) June 2, 2025
Soon, he took control of the match and after 92 moves, Erigaisi had no option left but to resign as Gukesh defeated him for the first time in classical chess.
It has to be noted that Arjun had defeated Gukesh in their previous meeting in Norway Chess 2025 last week.
The Chennai chess star, Gukesh, has now surpassed Carlsen in the standings with 11.5 points. He is currently second in the table, behind American Fabiano Caruana, who is on 12.5 points after beating Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi.
How Gukesh defeated Arjun:
Carlsen dropped to third place despite beating American Hikaru Nakamura with white in armageddon.
In the women's section, Ju Wenjun secured her first classical win of Norway Chess 2025, defeating Sara Khadem to take sole lead with three rounds remaining. In the battle of the previous co-leaders, Anna Muzychuk edged past Koneru Humpy in Armageddon. Lei Tingjie also notched her first classical victory after R Vaishali's position collapsed in time trouble.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
34 minutes ago
- News18
D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi Eyeing Chess History! Norway Chess Nearing Final Rounds
Seems like history could be written yet again by the likes of Gukesh D, or rather, even his Indian compatriot Arjun Erigaisi, who have their sights set on the Norway Chess title. Gukesh and Arjun have already captured the attention of chess enthusiasts by challenging the likes of Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. With eight rounds completed and just two remaining, Gukesh, placed third with 11.5 points, and Erigaisi, with 10.5 points, are strong contenders for the title in a tournament that has never been won by an Indian. Gukesh, despite a lackluster start, has displayed resilient chess to stage an impressive comeback in the six-player double round-robin tournament. He began with losses in his first two games against world No.1 Carlsen and Erigaisi. Just as Gukesh found his stride by defeating Carlsen and Erigaisi in Rounds 6 and 7 respectively, the 19-year-old faced a significant setback in Round 8, where Nakamura delivered a morale-shattering blow. The rest day would have provided Gukesh ample time for reflection and planning, as another defeat could severely impact his chances in the tournament. Gukesh will face China's Wei Yi in Round 9, who previously defeated him in a sudden-death Armageddon tie-break in Round 5. Although Wei Yi hasn't had much success in the tournament, he has managed to beat both Gukesh and Carlsen in Armageddon tie-breaks in earlier rounds. Wei Yi's eight points and sixth position on the table do not accurately reflect his determination, as he is capable of causing another upset for Gukesh. Erigaisi, on the other hand, will meet Nakamura in Round 9 and hopes to build on his previous victory against the American in Round 5. The 21-year-old, participating in his first Norway Chess, has demonstrated tactical skill and speed, thanks to his expertise in rapid and blitz formats. Despite being in winning positions in several games, such as in Round 7 against Gukesh, he has unexpectedly faltered in the endgames. Though American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana leads with 12.5 points and Carlsen follows closely with 12 points, both have shown vulnerability against the Indian players. Gukesh proved his mettle by defeating Carlsen in a Classical game in Round 6, causing the Norwegian to slam the table in frustration. (with agency inputs)
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
US goalkeeper Zack Steffen injures knee and will miss CONCACAF Gold Cup
CHICAGO — Zack Steffen injured a knee and became the second goalkeeper dropped from U.S. training camp ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Steffen was hurt during training Tuesday, returned to the Colorado Rapids for more exams and will miss the tournament, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Wednesday. Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte injured an oblique on May 24. Matt Turner, the No. 1 American goalkeeper for the past three years, remains in camp along with Chris Brady and Matt Freese, who both have never played for the national team. Turner, who turns 31 on June 24, played just four matches for Crystal Place this season, one in the League Cup and three in the FA Cup — the last on March 1. Turner's last game was on March 23, the Americans' 2-1 loss to Canada in the CONCACAF Nations League third-place game. 'I don't see myself as the No. 1 all the time,' Turner said Wednesday, referring to a goalkeeper's frequent jersey number. 'I think that's my mindset going into every camp right now, is that every inch, every opportunity needs to be fought for and every opportunity that I've had under this current staff I've earned by my performances within training and the opportunities that I had this past season with Crystal Palace.' Turner hinted a club change is possible. Dean Henderson started all 38 Premier League matches this season. 'Hopefully I'll have some news for you in terms of my future this summer,' Turner said. The Americans have friendlies against Turkey on Saturday at East Hartford, Connecticut, and Switzerland three days later at Nashville, Tennessee, then meet Trinidad and Tobago, Saudi Arabia and Haiti in the first round of the Gold Cup. soccer: /hub/soccer
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Norway Chess Women: Vaishali Rameshbabu takes down women's world champion; Koneru Humpy surges into lead
It was on the first rest day of the Norway Chess tournament that Koneru Humpy couldn't stop grinning. She had tried her hand at rifle shooting among other things at a ranch during the Norway Chess Games, and had managed to hit a bullseye. Humpy was so chuffed at that shot that she had asked for the paper target as a keepsake. In two days, Humpy just might leave Norway's Stavanger with something more precious: the women's title at the super-elite championship. The 38-year-old surged into the lead on the second rest day of the Norway Chess women's tournament, staying one full point ahead of women's world champion Ju Wenjun and Ukraine's Anna Muzychuk. Humpy took down Spain's Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (better known as Sara Khadem) in the classical portion for the second time in the tournament to get three points in round 8 on Wednesday. And she had compatriot Vaishali Rameshbabu to thank for giving her the one point cushion, as India's latest woman to become a grandmaster had held on for a draw against the women's world champion from China, Ju Wenjun, before defeating her in the Armageddon. The format of Armageddon is such that the player with white pieces needs to win with 10 minutes on their clock while the player with black pieces has seven minutes to hold on to a draw. Humpy took a slender edge from the 22nd move (22. Bd3 Nc5) and never relinquished her grip on the game against the only International Master in the field of six women. Sara erred on move 35 (playing 35. Rd2 when engines showed that 35. e5 was the best move available). That move had given Humpy a significant edge and India's first woman to become a grandmaster wasn't going to miss. She remained a pawn up until the 58th move when the resignation arrived from Sara. Humpy now has Ju and another former world champion Lei Tingjie standing in her path to winning the title at Norway Chess. Vaishali held women's world champion Ju Wenjun to a draw with white pieces, which was a significant result considering the two players have a gulf of 99 rating points separating them. A game that saw the Berlin Defense in Ruy Lopez being employed never really heated up. For 37 moves from both players, the eval bar had its quietest night, never really needing to go this way or that. Then, in the Armageddon, with Vaishali needing to win with white pieces, both players played out the exact same 12 moves that they had played in the classical section. But on her 13th move, Ju opted to push forward her c pawn instead of putting pressure on Vaishali's ambitious knight with her bishop. The game ambled along without any player having an edge till the 32nd move, when Vaishali allowed Ju to pick off a pawn without any compensation. But on the next move, Vaishali pushed her own pawn on the f5 square (33.f5) which was her first significant breakthrough. Four moves later, Vaishali's pawn was bearing down on her king while two rooks and Vaishali's queen were standing as sentries on the three files at the end of the board to cut off escape lines. Ju resigned to give Vaishali a morale-boosting win. Vaishali is fifth in the six-women standings, just half a point behind Lei, with two rounds remaining. (The writer is in Stavanger at the invitation of Norway Chess. Matches are live-streamed on Sony LIV.) Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
