NEW DELHI: After a disappointing Thursday where Dommaraju Gukesh tasted the bitterness of a defeat to World No. 1 and five-time world champion
Magnus Carlsen in what was the reigning world champion's final game as a teenager, Gukesh returned to the board on Saturday for his Round 9 clash against compatriot Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa.
On Friday, as Norway Chess observed its first rest day, Gukesh celebrated his 20th birthday. Call it a coincidence or a stroke of good fortune at the start of his 20s, but the reigning world champion managed to bounce back from a poor start to the game and defeat his compatriot R Praggnanandhaa under the panoramic roof of the Deichman Bjørvika library in Oslo on Saturday.
Heading into Saturday's clash, Gukesh found himself at the bottom of the pack with 3.5 points. However, with this crucial victory over Pragg, the 20-year-old, who will defend his World Championship crown later this year against Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov, has climbed to third place on the leaderboard, trailing tournament leader Alireza Firouzja by only 3.5 points.
On the board, the all-Indian clash perfectly illustrated the enduring charm of classical chess.
Playing with the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa gained space with an advanced c5–c6 pawn chain and active queenside play. Gukesh, however, responded energetically in the centre with 32...e5 and launched a kingside assault with 34...g5 and 37...g4.
The critical phase of the game began after 33.d5, as Black's attack rapidly accelerated. Gukesh sacrificed material for the initiative to crack open White's king shelter, launching a decisive offensive after 46.Kxf3 Bh5+ 47.Kf2 Qg3+.
Under severe time pressure, Black's active pieces and direct threats proved overwhelming. Praggnanandhaa never appeared to be in a position to mount a recovery after losing his way in the intense time scramble.
"What can I say, just a very complex game... luckily, the tricks kind of worked out for me," Gukesh said after the victory. This marked Gukesh's first classical win of the tournament, as well as his very first triumph as a 20-year-old.
Divya Deshmukh bounces back in style
Much like Gukesh, India's Divya Deshmukh also endured a tough outing just before the rest day. The 20-year-old Grandmaster, who has otherwise shown commendable form throughout the tournament, let an advantageous position slip through her fingers during a classical draw before losing the Armageddon tie-break to the defending Norway Chess Women champion, Anna Muzychuk.
Consequently, redemption was the top priority for Divya on Saturday. She delivered exactly that, securing her first classical win of the tournament by defeating Zhu Jiner in an exhausting 84-move encounter.
Playing with the black pieces, Divya defended resiliently through the opening. The game remained roughly equal through the early middlegame, but Divya gradually improved her piece placement and neutralised White's initiative.
The definitive turning point came after 41.Nxa4, when Black activated her rook beautifully with 42...Re2+ and 43...Rxh2. From that moment on, Black's rook and knight completely outshone White's bishop, creating a highly favourable endgame that Divya flawlessly converted into a win.
With this victory, Divya has broken away to become the sole leader of the tournament with 8.5 points.
She next faces Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun on Sunday in a highly anticipated rematch of their first-round encounter, where Divya previously defeated the Chinese Grandmaster in Armageddon.
Elsewhere: Magnus Carlsen handed third classical defeat; Koneru Humpy secures first win
It was another lacklustre day at the office for World No. 1 and local hero Magnus Carlsen, who succumbed to his third classical loss of the tournament at the hands of Wesley So in their Round 5 matchup. Following the defeat, Carlsen now sits at the bottom of the table with 4.5 points.
Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja defeated Germany's No. 1 Vincent Keymer in an Armageddon tie-break to maintain his position as the sole leader of the open section.
Koneru Humpy secured a breath of fresh air by picking up her first win of the tournament, defeating Women's World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon.
Anna Muzychuk outclassed Bibisara Assaubayeva in their Armageddon tie-break to maintain third place on the points table with 7 points.
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