New Delhi: World chess champion D Gokesh on Friday had a light-hearted moment during the Norway Chess 2026 rest day celebrations as fellow chess players gathered to celebrate his 20th birthday. The players came together and sang a birthday song for the Indian star before taking part in sailing activities in Oslo. The funniest moment came when US Grandmaster Wesley Xu jokingly asked Javakhir Sundarov, who will face Gokesh in the World Championship match later this year in November, to sing a song after the celebration, which got everyone laughing.Both Gokesh and Sindarov were seen laughing uncontrollably as the group enjoyed the playful exchange. See: Sundrov is not competing in Norway Chess this year but is present with her close friend Bebisara Isaubayeva, who is currently atop the women’s standings.A difficult day on the chess board for Gakesh immediately followed the happy birthday celebrations. In round 4 of Norway Chess 2026, world no.1 Magnus Carlsen Defeated the reigning world champion in a closely fought classic game.Playing with the black pieces, Carlsen gradually took control during the middle game when the match was balanced for a long time. Under increasing pressure and with limited time remaining, Gokesh could not hold on to the position, sealing a crucial victory for Carlsen.The win significantly improved Carlsen’s position in the tournament standings after a relatively quiet start. Elsewhere, Wesley Soo defeated Alireza Ferozja in Armageddon as their classical game ended in a draw, while R Praganandha beat Vincent Kemmer in a tiebreaker.In the women’s competition, all the classical games ended in a draw before Armageddon decided the winners. Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Ju Wenjun in a tiebreak to maintain her lead in the standings. Zoe Jenner also claimed an Armageddon win over Konero Hampi, while Anna Muzichuk defeated Divya Deshmukh after a classical encounter.
