Grand Chess Tour: Magnus Carlsen Wins SuperUnited Rapid And Blitz With A Round To Spare
Gukesh, who started off brilliantly in the rapid section bagging as many as 14 points went out of sorts in the blitz section scoring just 1.5 out of his first nine games. Even though he made some steady progress in the last nine blitz games, it was never enough to catch Carlsen.
Carlsen ended the event with 22.5 points, 2.5 points ahead of American Wesley So who finished second while Gukesh eventually came third with 19.5.
Out of the 17,5000 USD prize pool Carlsen won 40,000, Wesley 30,000 and Gukesh won 25,000 with the fact that he proved his critics wrong by performing exceptionally.
Gukesh ended the event on 19.5 points, half point ahead of Alireza Firouzja of France and Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland.
The sixth place went to Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan ahead of Fabiano Caruana of United States and Anish Giri of Holland.
India's R Praggnanandhaa, after winning as many as three Classical events this year, had a rare low as he ended ninth on 15 points while Ivan Saric of Croatia was tenth on 13 points.
Gukesh could have done better in a game of fluctuating fortunes had he converted his extra pawn to a victory over Praggnanandhaa in the final round game.
However, as it happened, the endgame the duo reached was a theoretical draw and there was little to play for.
However, the world's youngest ever world champion can take this as a positive result in the faster version of the game.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Although Carlsen eventually clinched the Norway Chess title earlier this year, it was Gukesh who rattled the home favourite on his own turf, enough to make the Scandinavian bang the table in frustration—a moment that quickly grabbed social media's attention. Ahead of the Zagreb tournament, Carlsen struck again, saying: 'Gukesh hasn't done anything to indicate that he's going to do well in such a tournament.' Many, including the 34-year-old, expected Gukesh's perceived shortcomings in quicker formats to be exposed again. Instead, the 19-year-old beat Carlsen, led the rapid section, and finished third overall in Croatia. 'Sometimes when players compare levels, they remember their own best games and someone else's bad ones,' GM Pravin Thipsay, who coached a franchise featuring Carlsen in the Global Chess League, told 'That creates a gap in perception. A player's level is their worst and best together. 'He may still be the world No. 1, but that doesn't give him the right to undermine others. Even Garry Kasparov didn't win everything. And when Kasparov made such comments, he at least had the grace to acknowledge when he was wrong.' Thipsay also pointed to Carlsen's waning motivation in classical formats: 'When the genuine feeling develops that you're much better than someone else, and then it becomes surprising when you're not able to beat them. That's where the lack of motivation creeps in. " Frankly speaking, Magnus has a different kind of problem too: his inability to concentrate for two, three, or four hours is real. It's a serious issue,' suggesting that outbursts like banging the table stem from a deeper frustration: an unwillingness to fully accept that younger players like Gukesh are quickly catching up. 'Gukesh is very composed,' said 65-year-old Thipsay. 'Even when Carlsen banged the table, he didn't react. That shows maturity. The younger generation is mentally tougher. They're trained to stay in control.' GM Srinath Narayanan, captain and coach of the Indian men's team that won the gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, believes the rivalry, while compelling, is being shaped more by narratives than direct hostility. 'Carlsen tends to be blunt, and because he's Carlsen, everything he says is magnified,' he said. 'But I don't think he's targeting Gukesh personally. It's a rivalry like many others, made sharper because one is the World Champion, and the other is still the highest-rated player.' In Srinath's words, the current scenario reminds him of the early 2000s, when a young Carlsen was the challenger, taking on legends like Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. 'There was skepticism back then too. Now, Carlsen finds himself on the other side of that equation,' Srinath observed. 'In the chess world, Magnus is the benchmark for everyone. There's still a global belief that he's the best player out there. Maybe not forever, but certainly for now. I remember at the 2019 World Rapid and Blitz, he didn't do too well in the rapid, especially on day two. I played him that day and managed to beat him. But on day three, he started playing faster. He performed much better in the blitz that followed. That's Magnus,' he added. 'Carlsen's respect for Gukesh is probably only going to grow. Of course, it depends on how Gukesh develops. But in these situations, the younger player usually keeps rising while the older one gradually declines. At some point, Gukesh might well surpass Carlsen, though that still depends on many factors.' Carlsen may still be the GOAT, but Gukesh is getting ever closer to it. And the best part? He's doing it without any gimmick.
