World champion’s poor run continues as Carlsen capitalises on aggressive opening; Praggnanandhaa moves to second, Divya’s unbeaten streak ends

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh’s challenging week at the Norway Chess tournament took another hit on Thursday. The reigning world champion suffered his third consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of world number one Magnus Carlsen, and has now slipped to the bottom of the standings after four rounds.

The 18-year-old, who entered the event as one of the favourites, struggled to find his rhythm against the seven-time Norway Chess champion. Carlsen, playing with black pieces, capitalised on Gukesh’s overly aggressive approach and sealed the victory in a middle-game battle that lasted just under four hours.

With this result, Gukesh remains on 3.5 points, languishing at the bottom of the ten-player open section. Carlsen, who had a shaky start to the tournament, climbed to fourth place with 4.5 points.

Carlsen surprised by Gukesh’s strategy

After the match, Carlsen admitted he was caught off guard – but in a good way. “I was a bit surprised by his opening choice. He played too aggressively, and that actually helped me,” the Norwegian world number one told the tournament’s broadcast team.

It was a rare tactical misstep from Gukesh, who is known for his composure in high-pressure games. But Thursday’s loss followed a pattern: the Indian grandmaster has looked uncharacteristically restless in Oslo, pushing for advantage in positions that perhaps didn’t warrant it.

Praggnanandhaa wins Armageddon in 17 moves

There was better news for India from R Praggnanandhaa. The 18-year-old continues to impress, securing second place on the leaderboard after a dominant Armageddon tiebreak win over Vincent Keymer of Germany.

The classical game between the two ended in a draw, but Praggnanandhaa made light work of the tiebreak, wrapping it up in just 17 moves.The victory keeps him firmly in second position with 6 points, behind leader Alireza Firouzja of France, who tops the table with 8.5 points.

Praggnanandhaa had earlier stunned Carlsen in the previous round – a result that remains one of the tournament’s biggest talking points.

Divya’s winning streak snapped in women’s section

In the women’s category, India’s Divya Deshmukh faced her first setback of the competition. The young grandmaster’s unbeaten run came to an end after defending champion Anna Muzychuk defeated her in the Armageddon tiebreak.

Divya, who had won all her previous Armageddon games, now shares joint third place with 5.5 points. While the loss is a blow, she remains very much in contention with several rounds still to play.

The same cannot be said for Koneru Humpy. The experienced Indian campaigner continues to struggle and finds herself rooted to the bottom of the women’s standings after four rounds. Her search for form in Oslo has so far yielded little, and she will need a sharp turnaround in the days ahead.

What lies ahead for the Indians?

With five rounds remaining, Gukesh faces an uphill task to recover his momentum. The world champion’s three consecutive losses have raised questions about whether the intense schedule since his title win is taking a toll. However, his ability to bounce back from tough situations is well documented.

For Praggnanandhaa, the immediate goal will be to close the gap on Firouzja. And for Divya, a chance to reclaim the top spot remains very much alive.

The Norway Chess tournament continues on Friday with round five, where Gukesh will look to break his losing streak – and avoid slipping further in what is quickly becoming a difficult title defence.