Norway Chess 2025: Magnus Carlsen leads heading into the final round but India's D Gukesh closing in
The ninth round of Norway Chess 2025 delivered a thrilling day of top-level competition, featuring decisive encounters that shook up the standings. One of the standout games featured World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen against Fabiano Caruana.
Carlsen took the initiative out of the opening and emerged with an advantage heading into the endgame. Despite Caruana's tenacious defense, Carlsen maintained relentless pressure, ultimately breaking through to claim a vital victory.
In the game between the World Champion D. Gukesh and Chinese No. 1 Wei Yi, the Indian star capitalized on a critical early error by Wei Yi to seize the initiative. Demonstrating sharp attacking play, Gukesh D steered the game into a winning endgame and converted with precision to secure the full point.
The game is over but the analysis is not!! #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/VUc2cmPK6U
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 5, 2025
Finally, the game between Hikaru Nakamura and Arjun Erigaisi ended in an eventless draw. Hikaru Nakamura prevailed in the Armageddon game, securing the crucial extra points. Heading into the final round, Magnus Carlsen leads the standings by half a point over Gukesh D, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the tournament. Koneru Humpy leads at Norway Chess Women
Another dramatic round unfolded at the Norway Chess Women's tournament, with all three games ending decisively, shaking up the standings ahead of the final day. In a sharp and unpredictable encounter, Vaishali Rameshbabu and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh played a wild game. Sara Khademalsharieh skillfully leveraged her significant time advantage, and with precise play, she secured the win.
Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk delivered another thrilling clash. Muzychuk boldly sacrificed an exchange early on to seize the initiative. A critical defensive mistake by Ju proved costly, and Muzychuk capitalized to secure a convincing victory.
The final classical game saw Koneru Humpy take on Lei Tingjie. Although Koneru emerged with early initiative, a major mistake turned the tide in Lei's favour. Lei punished the error with clinical play and earned a crucial win.
Entering into the last round, Anna Muzychuk tops the standings with a two-point lead over Humpy Koneru. However, the tournament is still not over, as any of the top four players has a chance to be a winner.
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