NEW DELHI: Today is the birthday of World Chess Champion Dommaraju Gukesh. As he prepared to leave his teenage years behind and turn 20, the Chennai-born Grandmaster had a rare opportunity to celebrate by defeating World No. 1 and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in Round 4 of Norway Chess 2026 on Thursday. Since Gukesh became the youngest ever to clinch the World Championship crown at the age of 18, Carlsen has been one of the primary outside voices raising questions and doubts over the youngster’s over-the-board abilities.It is also impossible to forget how Carlsen lost his cool and ended up banging the table the last time these two faced off in the same event in 2025. It isn’t every day that the Almighty grants a chance to celebrate a birthday while capitalising on the memories of such table-slamming shenanigans.Playing with the white pieces at the Deichman Bjørvika library in Oslo, Gukesh looked stable in the opening. However, as the game progressed, Carlsen gradually took control in the Ragozin Defence, using active piece play to compensate for his weakened pawn structure.The central break 22…c5 and a subsequent rook invasion on the b-file exposed Gukesh’s king, while a passed a-pawn secured a winning endgame.Magnus, bringing his best self to the board, converted the initiative with typical precision to clinch a 42-move victory over the reigning world chess champion.This marked the local hero’s first classical win of the tournament, allowing him to bounce back from his previous round’s classical defeat against R Praggnanandhaa.
Divya Deshmukh ‘s winning run hits a wall
Divya Deshmukh’s unbeaten streak finally came to an end on Wednesday after the 20-year-old from Nagpur, playing with the white pieces, took on defending Norway Chess Women champion Anna Muzychuk.After handling the Bishop’s Opening confidently against Muzychuk, Divya managed to create active attacking chances with aggressive rook and queen coordination on the kingside. For a moment, a classical win seemed well within reach for the Indian.However, Anna responded accurately, neutralising the pressure and simplifying the game into a balanced rook endgame. Despite repeated tactical threats from both sides, neither player could force a breakthrough, and the classical encounter ended in a well-fought 63-move draw after a threefold repetition.In the Armageddon tie-break, where Black gets 10 minutes to White’s 7 but only needs a draw to secure the match victory, Muzychuk seized the initiative in the middlegame.She successfully exploited an open queenside and utilised active piece coordination in the Symmetrical English. Divya fought energetically with central counterplay and a dangerous passed d-pawn, but Black’s queen activity and tactical precision gradually took over.Following a blunder by Divya with 39.d6+, a sequence culminating in 39…Qxa2 left Black with decisive material and positional superiority.Muzychuk converted the pressure into a winning Armageddon performance as she now shares second place with Divya at 5.5 points.
Elsewhere: R Praggnanandhaa registers Armageddon win, Humpy’s tough run continues
Speaking of missed opportunities, Praggnanandhaa, chasing back-to-back classical wins in the tournament, had black pieces on Thursday and took an early initiative to close out his game against Germany’s No. 1, Vincent Keymer.Keymer, however, defended brilliantly to avoid a classical defeat against the Indian. Nevertheless, as the Armageddon tie-break began, the German defence could not hold out under pressure indefinitely.
Praggnanandhaa produced a clean performance against Keymer in the Symmetrical English, equalising comfortably before taking over the queenless middlegame with active piece play and strong central control.The move 17…Nd4+ highlighted Black’s initiative and superior coordination, leaving Keymer under immense pressure without meaningful counterplay. Under Armageddon conditions, White’s position became strategically hopeless, leading to Keymer’s resignation.Koneru Humpy’s tough run continues after the veteran Indian Grandmaster lost to Zhu Jiner in their Armageddon tie-break. Meanwhile, Bibisara defeated Ju Wenjun in Armageddon to solidify her position at the top of the standings with 7 points.Alireza Firouzja faltered for the first time, losing to American grandmaster Wesley So. Despite the defeat, Firouzja continues to lead the tournament with 8.5 points, whereas world champion Gukesh sits at the bottom of the table with 3.5 points.
