NEW DELHI, July 4: Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh delivered another stunning performance on Thursday, defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen with the black pieces in the sixth round of the Grand Chess Tour SuperUnited Rapid 2025 in Zagreb. This marks his second win over Carlsen in just over a month, solidifying his position as one of the brightest young stars in the global chess arena.
With this victory, the 18-year-old defending champion surged to the top of the tournament standings with 10 points, establishing a two-point lead heading into the final day of the rapid format. Gukesh had earlier defeated Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and American Fabiano Caruana in the fourth and fifth rounds, setting the stage for his high-profile clash with Carlsen.
In a pre-game statement, Carlsen appeared to downplay the matchup, saying he would approach it “as if I’m playing one of the presumably weaker players.” However, Gukesh expertly outplayed the Norwegian in a dynamic rapid battle, showcasing maturity and composure well beyond his years.
“It’s nice that I could win two games in a row from losing positions, and against Magnus,” Gukesh said following the win, reflecting on his back-to-back comeback victories.
Gukesh, who has now won five consecutive games in the event, continues to impress with his aggressive style and deep preparation. The two players are slated to face each other twice more in the blitz section of the tournament, promising further fireworks.
Just last month, Gukesh made headlines by defeating Carlsen in the Norway Chess 2025 tournament—his first classical win against the five-time world champion—becoming only the second Indian, after R Praggnanandhaa, to accomplish the feat. His continued dominance marks a pivotal moment for Indian chess on the world stage.
