New Delhi: Today is the birthday of world chess champion Dumaraju Gokesh. As he prepares to leave his teenage years behind and turn 20, the Chennai-born grandmaster had a rare opportunity to celebrate by defeating the world number one. 1 and a five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen Thursday in Round 4 of Norway Chess 2026. Since Gokesh became the youngest player ever to win a World Championship crown at 18, Carlson has been one of the primary outside voices raising questions and doubts about the youngster’s over-the-board abilities.It’s also impossible to forget how Carlson lost his cool and crashed through the table the last time these two met in the same event in 2025. It’s not every day that the Almighty provides an opportunity to celebrate a birthday by taking advantage of the memories of such table-slamming shenanigans.Playing with white pieces at Oslo’s Deichmann Björvik library, Gokesh looked steady at the start. However, as the game progressed, Karlsson gradually gained control in the Ragusan defense, using active peaceplay to compensate for his weak pawn structure.A central break 22…c5 and a subsequent attack on the b-file exposed Gokesh’s king, while a passed pawn secured a winning endgame.Magnus brought his best self to the board, converting the move with typical accuracy to secure a 42-move victory over the reigning world chess champion.It marked the local hero’s first classical win of the tournament, allowing him to bounce back from his previous round classical defeat against R Pragnanandaa.
Duya Deshmukh The winning run of hitting the wall.
Divya Deshmukh’s unbeaten streak came to an end on Wednesday when the 20-year-old from Nagpur played with the white pieces to defend against Norway’s women’s chess champion Anna Mozechak.After confidently handling the bishop’s opening against Mozichuk, Divya succeeded in creating active opportunities to attack the kingside with aggressive blocking and queen coordination. For a moment, a classic win looked well within the Indian’s reach.However, Anna responded just right, neutralizing the pressure and easing the game into a balanced stop-and-go game. Despite repeated tactical threats from both sides, neither player could make a breakthrough, and the classical contest ended in a 63-move draw after three iterations.In an Armageddon tiebreak, where Black has 10 minutes to White’s 7 but only needs a draw to secure victory in the match, Mozyczak takes the initiative in the middle game.He successfully exploited an open queenside and used active piece coordination in harmonious English. Divya fought back vigorously with central counterplay and a dangerous pass-de-pawn, but Black’s queenside activity and tactical accuracy gradually took control.After Divya’s blunder with 39.d6+, the sequence ending in 39…Qxa2 left Black with decisive material and a positional advantage.Mozychak turned the pressure into a winning Armageddon performance as she is now tied for second with Divya on 5.5 points.
Elsewhere: R Praganandha registers Armageddon win, Hampi’s tough run continues
Speaking of missed opportunities, Pragnandha, chasing a classic win in the tournament, took the black pieces on Thursday and took the early lead to close out his game against Germany’s No. 1, Vincent Kaymer.However, Kemer defended brilliantly to avoid a classic defeat against the Indian. Nevertheless, as the Armageddon tiebreak began, the German defense could not remain under pressure indefinitely.
Praganandha produced a clean performance in consistent English against Kaymer, comfortably leveling before taking over the queenless middle game with active pace play and strong central control.Move 17…Nd4+ highlighted Black’s initiative and superior coordination, leaving Kemer under immense pressure without a meaningful response. Under Armageddon conditions, White’s position became tactically hopeless, leading to Kemmer’s resignation.Konero Hampi’s tough run continues after the veteran Indian grandmaster lost to Zoe Jenner in their Armageddon tiebreak. Meanwhile, Bibisara defeated Ju Wenjun at Armageddon to consolidate his position at the top of the standings with 7 points.Alireza Feroza lost for the first time to American Grandmaster Wesley Sue. Despite the defeat, Ferozja leads the tournament with 8.5 points, while world champion Gokesh is at the bottom of the table with 3.5 points.
