White wins all three classical games
Round six of the Norway Chess super-tournament saw all three classical games end decisively for the first time in this year's edition. After the first five rounds had produced a mixture of classical wins and Armageddon deciders, Sunday's action brought three-pointer results on all boards, all favouring the players with the white pieces.
Magnus Carlsen recovered from his loss to Wesley So on Saturday by defeating long-time sole leader Alireza Firouzja. So, meanwhile, scored a second consecutive classical win, this time against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, for whom it was a second classical loss in a row. Vincent Keymer claimed his first victory of the event (in any format, classical or Armageddon) by beating world champion Gukesh Dommaraju.
In this video course experts examine the games of Bent Larsen. Let them show you which openings Larsen chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
Bent Larsen (1935–2010) was the greatest chess player in Danish history, and for a time, the second-strongest player in the Western world behind Bobby Fischer. Between 1954 and 1971, he won the Danish Championship six times, and achieved numerous international tournament victories throughout his career.
Free video sample: Introduction to Bent Larsen by Peter Heine Nielsen
Free video sample: Introduction to the Opening Section
All three games lasted more than 50 moves and followed a broadly similar pattern. The winning players each had to convert a position with an extra pawn, so the round was decided more by technique in the final phase than by immediate tactical finishes.
Norwegian fans made it to Deichman Bjørvika Library to follow the games live on Sunday | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
The results had a major effect on the standings, given the Norway Chess scoring system. So leapfrogged Firouzja and will go into round seven with a 1½-point lead over the French GM.
Keymer's win changed his position significantly. The German star had drawn all five of his classical games before Sunday and lost every Armageddon decider. By defeating Gukesh, he not only recorded his first win in Oslo, but also moved into third place, 2 points behind Firouzja.
Carlsen's victory lifted him from last place to fourth. His event has been so far unusually inconsistent: he has drawn only one classical game, while collecting two wins and three losses.
Round 6 results
| White |
Result |
Black |
| Magnus Carlsen |
3 - 0 |
Alireza Firouzja |
| Wesley So |
3 - 0 |
Praggnanandhaa R. |
| Vincent Keymer |
3 - 0 |
Gukesh Dommaraju |
Standings after round 6
| Player |
Rating |
Federation |
Points |
| Wesley So |
2754 |
United States |
11½ |
| Alireza Firouzja |
2759 |
France |
10 |
| Vincent Keymer |
2759 |
Germany |
8 |
| Magnus Carlsen |
2840 |
Norway |
7½ |
| Gukesh Dommaraju |
2732 |
India |
6½ |
| Praggnanandhaa R. |
2733 |
India |
6 |
Carlsen 1-0 Firouzja
You will learn how Black's dynamic piece activity and structural counterplay more than compensate for White's extra tempo in the colour-reversed setups.
The Benoni family of openings has toppled world champions, decided match games under the highest pressure, and rewarded those brave enough to play them with some of the most electrifying chess imaginable. In this Fritztrainer, Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov - continuing his successful series "Understanding Middlegame Structures" - takes you deep inside the complexities of the Colour-Reversed Benoni, the Colour-Reversed Benko Gambit, and the Colour-Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Colour Reversed Banoni - Game 1
Magnus Carlsen putting the finishing touches... | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
Let us not forget that Alireza Firouzja has been playing the whole event with an ankle injury | Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen
So 1-0 Praggnanandhaa
YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
A second win in a row for Wesley So, a second loss in a row for Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
The new tournament leader | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
Keymer 1-0 Gukesh
Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.
Vincent Keymer facing Gukesh Dommaraju | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
World number six in the live ratings list: 21-year-old German GM Vincent Keymer | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
All games - Classical
All games - Armageddon
Links
.jpeg)
.jpeg)