Arjun Erigaisi Triumphs Over D Gukesh in Norway Chess 2025

Erigaisi Secures Victory Against Gukesh

In Stavanger, Norway, on May 28, Arjun Erigaisi achieved a remarkable victory against D Gukesh during the second round of Norway Chess 2025. This win places him alongside Hikaru Nakamura, who triumphed over Magnus Carlsen in an Armageddon playoff after their match ended in a stalemate, leading to a tie for the top position.

The reigning world champion, Gukesh, faced his second consecutive defeat, having lost to world No. 1 Carlsen on the tournament's opening day. Currently, Gukesh finds himself at the bottom of the leaderboard among six competitors, remaining the only player without any points thus far.

Before this match, Arjun had an impressive 5-0 record against Gukesh in classical games, and he has now extended that to six wins. Erigaisi concluded the match in 62 moves, compelling Gukesh to resign after delivering a check with his knight.

2nd LOSS in a row for the WORLD CHESS CHAMPION #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/ATIVlvOVyH

— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 27, 2025

Fabiano Caruana made a strong comeback with a victory over GM Wei Yi, while GM Magnus Carlsen initially faltered in a promising classical position against Nakamura and subsequently lost a chaotic Armageddon match where he failed to finalize a winning attack, as reported by chess.com.

In the Women's Norway Chess 2025, Anna Muzychuk secured the only classical win in round two against Koneru Humpy, establishing a 1.5-point lead.

Following accurate draws, GMs Lei Tingjie and Ju Wenjun emerged victorious in their Armageddon matches against GMs Vaishali Rameshbabu and Sara Khadem, respectively.

Earlier, Gukesh faced a thrilling defeat against Magnus Carlsen, marking their first classical encounter since Gukesh claimed the world title. This match also signified Carlsen's return to individual classical chess after nearly a year away from the scene. Despite his absence from classical tournaments for 12 months, Carlsen displayed no signs of being out of practice.

Looking ahead, Gukesh is set to compete against American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, while Erigaisi, who has accumulated 4.5 points after two games, will face another American, Fabiano Caruana.