Disappointing Day for Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa at Norway Chess, Divya Shines
On a tense second day at Norway Chess, D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa faced tough defeats, while Divya Deshmukh continued her strong performance in the women’s division.
Gukesh, the world champion, aimed for a win against Wesley So after a hard-fought 116-move classical game. Despite dominating for most of the match, Gukesh had to settle for a draw when So escaped his grasp. In the Armageddon round, So outplayed Gukesh, earning 1.5 points. Nevertheless, Gukesh remains tied for second place with So, both having 2.5 points.
Similarly, Praggnanandhaa struggled against the impressive French player Alireza Firouzja, who climbed to the top of the leaderboard with six points after several wins. Praggnanandhaa had a good start but lost momentum as Firouzja, despite dealing with an ankle injury and using crutches, made a stunning comeback and finished the match strongly.
“I’m trying to play chess. I have a lot of pain, but it keeps me focused,” Firouzja commented after his win.
In brighter news, defending champion Magnus Carlsen finally scored after a challenging match against Germany’s Vincent Keymer. Although he let go of advantageous positions in the classical game, Carlsen rallied to win the Armageddon tiebreak, putting him at 1.5 points alongside Praggnanandhaa.
Divya Shines in Women’s Section
In the women’s category, Divya Deshmukh triumphed over seasoned player Koneru Humpy in the Armageddon round. The young player is making her debut at Norway Chess and has climbed to joint second place with three points after another solid performance.
Divya expressed her enthusiasm for the tournament’s unique Armageddon format and the ‘Confession Room,’ where players can share their thoughts during matches. “I’m having a lot of fun with the Armageddon games here. It helps me talk through my ideas and calculate better,” she noted.
Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva solidified her lead with 4.5 points after beating Zhu Jiner in Armageddon. Meanwhile, defending champion Anna Muzychuk also had success, defeating women’s world champion Ju Wenjun in another nail-biting tiebreak.
Current Standings After Round 2
Open Division:
- Alireza Firouzja – 6 points
- Wesley So, D Gukesh – 2.5 points
- Magnus Carlsen, R Praggnanandhaa – 1.5 points
Women’s Division:
- Bibisara Assaubayeva – 4.5 points
- Divya Deshmukh – 3 points
- Anna Muzychuk, Zhu Jiner – 2.5 points
- Ju Wenjun – 2 points
- Koneru Humpy – 1 point
As the tournament continues, all eyes will be on how Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa bounce back while Divya aims to maintain her momentum.
