Reigning world champion D Gukesh delivered another impressive performance at the Norway Chess tournament, defeating compatriot Arjun Erigaisi in classical format for the first time in his career.
The hard-fought win in Round 7 propelled the 19-year-old to sole second place on the leaderboard with 11.5 points, ahead of world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
Gukesh, playing with white, showed remarkable resilience after being on the defensive for more than three hours.
Erigaisi had the upper hand for much of the game, but time trouble forced a critical error, allowing Gukesh to seize the opportunity and turn the tide.
It was a breakthrough win for Gukesh, who had lost to Erigaisi in Round 2 and had never beaten him in classical play until now.
The win comes on the heels of Gukesh’s dramatic victory over Carlsen on Sunday, a game in which he also staged a comeback from a worse position.
This latest result adds to the teenager’s growing momentum in the elite six-player double round-robin tournament.
Arjun Erigaisi, who had previously defeated Carlsen at Tata Steel Chess and again in Round 2 of this event, dropped to fifth place with 7.5 points following the loss.
Tournament leader Fabiano Caruana of the United States maintained his position at the top with 12.5 points after defeating China’s Wei Yi.
Carlsen, meanwhile, scored an Armageddon win over world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura and now stands third with 11 points. Nakamura is fourth on 8.5, and Wei Yi is at the bottom of the table with 6.5 points.
Reflecting on the game, Gukesh said, “Probably I was just losing at some point. Nothing really worked from the opening, but once I got a playable position, I just kept making moves that didn’t lose on the spot. In time scrambles, anything can happen.”
His coach, Polish Grandmaster Grzegorz Gajewski, praised Gukesh’s persistence, noting that while the game wasn’t his finest technically, the fighting spirit was exceptional.
“Probably not his best game ever, at least not the first half, but definitely a very good second half. He demands such a high level of accuracy from his opponents, and if they don’t meet it—even the world No. 1—they can slip.”
Gajewski added that Gukesh’s comeback against Carlsen the previous day helped reinforce his mindset going into the match against Erigaisi.
“When you’re in serious trouble and still manage to win, it gives you confidence to fight on. He was completely in the zone from move one to the end.”
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Elsewhere in the tournament, Carlsen and Nakamura drew their classical game in just 21 moves, saving their energy for the Armageddon, where Carlsen clinched victory to earn 1.5 points.
In the women’s section, Ukrainian Grandmaster Anna Muzychuk defeated two-time world rapid champion Koneru Humpy in the Armageddon tiebreak, while India’s R. Vaishali lost to China’s Lei Tingjie after faltering in time pressure.
Ju Wenjun currently leads the women’s standings with 11.5 points, followed by Muzychuk on 11 and Humpy with 10.5.
