Norway Chess 2025: In Round 2, Thrilling start!
Norway Chess 2025 is off to a thrilling start! In Round 2, the action was intense, and the surprises were plenty.
Arjun Beats World Champion Gukesh Again
GM Arjun Erigaisi stunned the chess world by defeating World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the sixth time in classical chess. Arjun’s preparation was sharp, and Gukesh ran into time trouble early.
Although Gukesh defended well and reached a drawn endgame, one final mistake cost him the game. Arjun now shares the tournament lead with GM Hikaru Nakamura, both having 4.5 points after two rounds.
Caruana Comes Back Strong
GM Fabiano Caruana, who lost in Round 1, bounced back by beating GM Wei Yi. He chose the Rossolimo Sicilian and capitalized on his opponent’s mistakes. A tactical blunder by Wei allowed Caruana to take full control.
The American grandmaster played confidently and finished with clean precision.
Nakamura Outplays Carlsen in Armageddon
The most anticipated match was between Nakamura and Magnus Carlsen. Their classical game ended in a draw, but the Armageddon game was pure chaos. Both players mismanaged their time, and Carlsen had a winning position at one point.
But Nakamura, known for his speed and tactics, turned the tables and won with a brilliant passed pawn push.
Even Carlsen admitted, “I got outcalculated, and that was fair enough!”
Nakamura, as always, recapped the games
Women’s Section
Muzychuk Takes the Lead
In the women’s section, GM Anna Muzychuk won the only classical game of the round, defeating GM Koneru Humpy. Despite a brief chance for Humpy to draw, a late blunder gave Muzychuk the full 3 points. She now leads the tournament with 4.5 points.
Armageddon Wins for Lei & Ju
GM Lei Tingjie and GM Ju Wenjun both won their Armageddon games. Lei defeated Vaishali Rameshbabu, while Ju took down Sara Khadem. Both classical games ended in draws before the Armageddon action.
Lei and Ju are now chasing Muzychuk in the standings.
Round 3 Preview
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Caruana vs. Arjun: Two winners from Round 2 face off!
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Gukesh vs. Nakamura: Gukesh tries to avoid three straight losses.
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Muzychuk vs. Lei: The top two women will battle in a crucial match.
Photos: Michal Walusza, Maria Emelianova, Norway Chess
Source: CHESS.com
