New Delhi: Indian chess star D Gokesh received a flood of birthday wishes from some of the biggest names in chess during the ongoing Norway Chess 2026 tournament, but Magnus Carlsen’s hilarious message that caught the attention of the internet. In a video shared by Norwegian Chess, Carlsen joked with the reigning world champion about turning 20. Carlson said, “Happy birthday Gokesh. You’re not a teenager anymore, it’s time to grow up.”Many top players, who have been invited to play Norwegian chess, also congratulated Gakesh on his special day.“Hello, Gokesh. I wish you a happy birthday,” said Jo Wengen, the women’s world champion.“So hello, Gokesh. Happy birthday to you. May you have health and long life,” Prag said.Veteran Indian grandmaster Konero Hampi also praised the young champion.“Many happy returns of the day, Gokesh. So now you’ve moved on from adolescence to celebrate your 20th birthday, and I wish you the best in all your endeavors, and we’re all proud of you.”
Carlson defeats Gökçe in Norwegian chess.
Ahead of the anniversary celebrations, Gokesh faced Carlsen in one of the biggest matches of Norway Chess 2026 in Oslo on Thursday. Playing with the black pieces, Carlson defeated the Indian star in a hard-fought classic after gradually gaining control in the middle game. Gokesh held strong for a long time but eventually slipped under time pressure, allowing Carlson to turn his advantage into victory.Elsewhere in the tournament, Wesley Su defeated Alireza Feroza in Armageddon as their classical game ended in a draw, while R Praganandha beat Vincent Kaymer in a tie-break after another close contest. Feroza still leads the overall standings after four rounds, although Carlson’s win has significantly boosted his position.On the women’s side, Bibisara Assaubayeva maintained her lead in the standings after defeating Jo Wengen at Armageddon.Also read: Norway Chess: De Gokesh loses his last game as a teenager to Magnus Carlsen; Divya Deshmukh’s unbeaten streak ends
