World Champion D Gukesh overcame a losing position on Sunday to defeat Magnus Carlsen in Round 6 of the Norway Chess 2025 competition. Gukesh defeated the Norwegian grandmaster in a classical match for the first time. After Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, the 19-year-old became the second Indian player in the tournament’s history to defeat Carlsen.

Gukesh achieved his first-ever victory in a classical chess match against the world No. 1 on Sunday at the Norway Chess 2025 event, defeating hometown idol Carlsen in the traditional style.

Using the white pieces, Carlsen maintained the upper hand for the most of the game by applying constant pressure. Gukesh, however, defended with surgical accuracy and poise beyond his years. Carlsen made a last-minute mistake that opened the game as the stress mounted under the event’s increment-based time management, and Gukesh quickly took advantage of it.

“There was not much I could do. I just had to make the most of it. I was making moves that were tricky for him, and luckily he got into a time scramble. One thing I’ve learned from this tournament is that time scrambles can get out of control”, Gukesh said after the match.

In trademark humility, he added: “Ninety-nine out of a hundred times, I would have lost. It’s a lucky day.”

Carlsen crushed the chessboard and quickly left the arena, clearly upset. Gukesh, on the other hand, quietly celebrated a victory that would define his career with his coach, Grzegorz Gajewski.

The two had faced off in the first round of the competition, with Carlsen winning by a narrow margin thanks to his signature endgame accuracy. But this time, Gukesh was the one who remained composed under pressure.

Norway Chess, which features top male and female players in a unique six-player double round-robin format, is considered by many to be one of the top chess events on the calendar. The 2025 edition will take place in Stavanger from May 26 to June 6.

Carlsen, who played white, applied constant pressure and dominated for a large portion of the match. But Gukesh made an incredibly strong and accurate defense. Carlsen made a last-minute mistake that proved to be crucial under the tournament’s increment-based time restriction, and Gukesh quickly took advantage of it.

Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna praised the teenager’s perseverance and fortitude. Gukesh deserves a lot of praise for his resourcefulness and persistence because, in my opinion, he knew he had been lost for a very long time. He persisted in his fight, though, and as the clock ticked down, he had more opportunities to use the position. Although I doubt he intended to win that, I’m sure he’s pleased.