Carlsen bounces back

Magnus Carlsen scored his first classical win of this year’s Norway Chess in round four, defeating world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The result continued the tournament’s pattern of one decisive classical game per round, while the other two encounters were settled in Armageddon.

Carlsen's win came after a difficult start to the event. The seven-time Norway Chess winner, and champion in the last two editions, had lost classical games to Alireza Firouzja and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in rounds one and three. Against Gukesh, however, he obtained the full 3 points and climbed to fourth place in the standings.

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The remaining two games ended drawn in classical chess and were followed by Armageddon deciders. Wesley So handed Firouzja his first match loss of the tournament, winning their rapid-play decider with the white pieces. Firouzja had entered the round with two classical wins and one Armageddon victory, and despite the loss, he retained a clear lead.

Praggnanandhaa also won in Armageddon, defeating Vincent Keymer with the black pieces. The result kept the Indian grandmaster in second place and reduced Firouzja’s lead to 2½ points going into the tournament’s first rest day. So stands a further half-point behind Praggnanandhaa in sole third place.

Round 4 results

Standings after round 4

The marquee matchup of the round, between Gukesh and Carlsen, carried a clear reference point from last year's event. In their previous Norway Chess meeting with Carlsen playing black, a late blunder by the Norwegian allowed Gukesh to score a notable victory. That game drew attention beyond specialist chess media after Carlsen reacted by banging the table following the mistake. This time, the outcome was different.

Gukesh chose an ambitious setup in the opening, but Carlsen gradually took control of the position. A key feature of the middlegame was the activity of Carlsen's kingside rook, which found a strong central post and helped him coordinate his pieces effectively. The world number-one went on to outplay the reigning world champion and convert the advantage.

Gukesh is now last after his classical loss to Carlsen. Before round four, he had lost twice in Armageddon and had scored his only match win in the rapid decider against Keymer.

Gukesh 0-1 Carlsen (Classical)

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A short post-mortem session right after the game | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Magnus Carlsen happily sharing his thoughts with the press after claiming a key victory | Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen

A sea of fans waiting for the national hero | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Following a 36-move draw in the So v. Firouzja classical encounter, the US grandmaster prevailed in Armageddon, as Firouzja faltered by allowing White's knight to reach b5 in a crucial position.

So 1-0 Firouzja (Armageddon)

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Wesley So stands in sole third place | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Still the leader - Alireza Firouzja | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Pragg's victory over Keymer in Armageddon followed a one-move blunder by the German star in the early middlegame.

Keymer's start has followed a consistent pattern, as the 21-year-old has drawn all four of his classical games but lost every Armageddon decider, leaving him in penultimate place.

Keymer 0-1 Praggnanandhaa (Armageddon)

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Vincent Keymer facing Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Pragg stands in sole second place going into the tournament's first rest day | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

All games - Classical

All games - Armageddon

Links

• Official website
• Norway Chess announces move to Oslo for 2026 edition
• Endgame Magic with Praggnanandhaa