Chess-Carlsen puts meltdown behind him to win Norway Chess tournament
FILE PHOTO: Chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen looks on ahead of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Paris, France, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
(Reuters) -Chess great Magnus Carlsen recovered from his meltdown against world champion Gukesh Dommaraju last weekend to win the Norway Chess tournament on Friday.
The Norwegian world number one drew his last game against India's Arjun Erigaisi but it proved enough for him to finish on 16 points, half a point ahead of American Fabiano Caruana.
Indian Gukesh, who lost to Caruana in the final game, ended up third on 14.5 points.
"It's a huge relief after a day like this, a tournament like this," Carlsen said.
Last Sunday, Carlsen had Gukesh on the ropes for much of their game but his composure cracked under the pressure of a ticking clock and he committed a blunder that handed Gukesh a decisive advantage.
Carlsen slammed his fist on the table after the defeat before exchanging a quick handshake with Gukesh, apologising for his outburst and storming off.
"Obviously my struggles here have been well documented but at least I fought until the end," the five-time classical world champion, who did not defend his title in 2023 citing a lack of motivation, said.
"I'm not going to say that this tournament was my last (in standard chess) for sure, but I enjoy other forms of chess a lot more."
(Reporting by Julien Pretot)
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