Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen clinched his seventh Norway Chess title, with a composed final-round draw against India’s Arjun Erigaisi, while American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana denied India’s D Gukesh the championship by defeating him in a high-stakes final round.
Carlsen, who entered the final round marginally ahead on points, drew from an unfavourable position to finish with 16 points, defending his crown in the elite tournament hosted in his homeland.
The title, however, hinged on the outcome between Gukesh and Caruana. Gukesh, who had performed solidly throughout the tournament, blundered in a time scramble and conceded the match. The Indian was visibly distressed after realising his mistake, offering a handshake with just two seconds left on his clock before covering his face in frustration.
Caruana’s victory over the 18-year-old Indian earned him three full points, enabling him to leapfrog Gukesh and finish second with 15.5 points, just half a point behind Carlsen. Gukesh, who ended the tournament with 14.5 points, finished third for the second consecutive time at Norway Chess.
Also read: Gukesh inches closer to Norway Chess title after win over Wei Yi
In the women's section, Anna Muzychuk of Ukraine clinched the title with 16.5 points, despite losing to India’s R Vaishali in the Armageddon tie-break of the final round. The two-time world blitz champion had drawn the classical game against Vaishali, earning both players a point. Vaishali then won the Armageddon to gain an additional half point and finish with 11 points.
Had Muzychuk lost the classical game, it could have paved the way for India’s Koneru Humpy to take the title, provided she defeated Ju Wenjun of China. However, Humpy managed only a draw in the classical format, collecting one point. She then beat Wenjun in the Armageddon to earn an additional half point, ending with 15 points—just shy of Muzychuk’s tally.
The tournament follows a unique scoring format: three points for a classical win, one point each for a draw, followed by an Armageddon where the winner secures an extra half point.
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