Carlsen Closes In as Gukesh Stumbles, Divya Loses Ground in Norway Chess

Oslo: The race for the Norway Chess title became even more intense after a dramatic sixth round that saw all three games in the open section produce decisive results.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen strengthened his title challenge with a crucial victory over tournament leader Alireza Firouzja. Playing with the white pieces, Carlsen patiently built pressure throughout a strategic battle before converting his advantage in the endgame. The result handed Firouzja his first classical defeat of the tournament and brought Carlsen closer to the top of the standings.

Meanwhile, Wesley So registered an important win over R Praggnanandhaa after a lengthy and hard-fought contest. So navigated the complexities of the game with confidence and capitalised on his opportunities in the endgame to secure full points, moving into the leading pack.

The biggest upset of the round came when Vincent Keymer defeated reigning world champion D Gukesh. Keymer maintained the initiative for most of the game and made the most of his chances to claim a valuable victory against the young champion.

After six rounds, Wesley So sits at the top of the Norway Chess standings, with Firouzja still firmly in contention as the battle for the title remains wide open.

In the women's event, another gripping day unfolded with one classical victory and two matches decided in Armageddon tiebreaks.

Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun secured the only classical win of the round, overcoming Divya Deshmukh after a long and tactical struggle. Ju steadily improved her position before converting her advantage in the endgame.

Bibisara Assaubayeva and Koneru Humpy drew their classical game, but Assaubayeva emerged victorious in the Armageddon decider to earn extra points and regain sole possession of first place.

The contest between Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner also ended level in classical play before Zhu clinched the Armageddon game to collect the bonus points.

At the end of Round 6, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the Norway Chess Women standings with 9.5 points. Divya Deshmukh remains second on 8.5 points, while Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk share third place with eight points each.

With inputs from IANS