Magnus Carlsen haunted by loss to Gukesh even after winning seventh Norway Chess title

Dubai: The table bang, the scattered pieces, the stunned silence — Magnus Carlsen’s frustration was on full display.

His loss to Dommaraju Gukesh midway through the Norway Chess tournament became an instant viral moment. And even after lifting the trophy on Saturday, the world No. 1 confessed it’s the one result that still stings.

“It’s not a positive memory, but the game that will stick out is the one against Gukesh,” Carlsen told ANI after claiming a record-extending seventh title in Stavanger.

Carlsen finished the tournament with 16 points, just ahead of Fabiano Caruana (15.5) and Gukesh (14.5), who was in contention for the title going into the final round. Arjun Erigaisi, another standout Indian performer, ended fifth with 13 points in a tightly contested field.

The final day saw Carlsen take on Arjun with the black pieces. A loss would have handed the advantage to Gukesh, who was facing Caruana. But Carlsen showed his mettle, steering the classical game to a tense draw by repeating moves in a promising position. Though he later lost the Armageddon tiebreak, the draw had already secured him top spot — provided Gukesh didn’t win.

Caruana then defeated Gukesh in a dynamic attacking game, dashing the Indian teenager’s hopes and confirming Carlsen’s triumph.

“I feel great. It’s a relief to win the tournament. In the end, it was such a rollercoaster, but it is good,” Carlsen said.

While reflecting on his victory, Carlsen also praised the rising Indian generation but noted that they still need more time to prepare at the very top level. “They are all very good — Gukesh, Arjun, and even in Armenia, Pragg (R Praggnanandhaa) and Aravindh (Chithambaram) have shown very good chess,” he said.

In the Norway Chess Women’s event, Anna Muzychuk held Vaishali Rameshbabu to a draw in classical play to seal the title. Though Vaishali won the Armageddon game, Muzychuk had done enough to finish top of the standings.

Humpy Koneru won her Armageddon decider against Ju Wenjun but dropped to third after Lei Tingjie’s clutch victory over Sarasadat Khademalsharieh pushed her into second.

Now in its 13th edition, Norway Chess continues to raise the bar — with equal prize money in both events and a unique double round-robin format showcasing the world’s best.