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Day 4 of SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia 2025: Gukesh Struggles
GM Magnus Carlsen made a stunning comeback on day 4 of the 2025 SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz. He started the day four points behind World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. But by the end, he was two points ahead after scoring an incredible 7.5 out of 9 in blitz.
Gukesh had a nightmare day, scoring just 1.5 out of 9.
GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda is now second, 1.5 points behind Carlsen. GM Wesley So also impressed, scoring 6.5 out of 9 and nearly defeating Carlsen.
The final day of action begins one hour early on Saturday, July 6 at 5:30 p.m. IST.
Carlsen Takes Over: “Not Something I Could Have Dreamed Of”
Carlsen was in top form, winning game after game. He ended the day with a blitz live rating of 2894.5, way ahead of GM Hikaru Nakamura.
Despite struggling in early games against GMs Anish Giri and Alireza Firouzja, Carlsen found his rhythm. In the game against Firouzja, Carlsen was down to just four seconds but managed to turn things around.
Firouzja missed a crucial chance to draw and lost. Carlsen called the win “huge” and followed it with another big victory over GM Fabiano Caruana.
The Clash: Carlsen vs. Gukesh
Carlsen then faced Gukesh, who had beaten him in two previous games. This time, Carlsen dominated. It was a smooth, almost effortless win, filled with deep, accurate decisions.
This game was selected as the Game of the Day.
Drama and Missed Chances
Carlsen defeated GMs Abdusattorov and Saric with ease. But not everything went perfectly.
Against Duda, Carlsen was winning but made a blunder and had to settle for a draw. He admitted, “I’m playing too much by instinct during time scrambles.”
He also blundered against Wesley So, but So missed the win and the game ended in a draw.
In another wild battle, Carlsen played GM Praggnanandhaa. Both were down to five seconds. Though Praggnanandhaa was close to winning, Carlsen set traps and won the game.
Gukesh’s Collapse
Gukesh’s rapid chess performance had been brilliant. He was leading with a five-game winning streak. But in blitz, everything fell apart. He lost his first five games and scored only 1.5/9, ending the day at the bottom of the standings.
The struggles began with a mistake against Wesley So in a drawn endgame. Then came more losses, including a shock defeat to GM Ivan Saric. His only win came when GM Caruana blundered his queen in time trouble.
In the final round, Gukesh lost badly to Praggnanandhaa. Despite the setback, he’s still in third place, just two points behind Carlsen. As Carlsen said, “It couldn’t really have gone any worse… Now he doesn’t have anything to lose.”
Duda, So Still In Contention
GM Wesley So had a strong day, scoring 4 wins and only 1 loss. He said it was a “very, very good day” after struggling in rapid. He credited better time management and staying hydrated for the improvement.
So’s big win came against Firouzja, who was close to reaching +4. But Firouzja collapsed, losing to So and then Abdusattorov. Meanwhile, GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda continues to impress. He lost his first blitz game but recovered quickly, finishing with 5/9.
Duda pulled off an escape against Carlsen and won a sharp game against Praggnanandhaa. He’s now just 1.5 points behind the leader.
Final Day Could Change Everything
Duda and So are both within striking distance of Carlsen. One bad day for the leader could flip the standings again. Don’t miss the final day of the 2025 SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia!
How to Watch
Catch the live broadcast on the Saint Louis Chess Club YouTube channel. Games are also available on the Grand Chess Tour Events Page.
The commentary team includes IM Nazi Paikidze, GM Yasser Seirawan, GM Evgenij Miroshnichenko, and WGM Anastasiya Karlovich with GM Cristian Chirila.
The event is the third leg of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour, held in Zagreb, Croatia. The players compete in both rapid and blitz formats.
Photos: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour
Source: CHESS.com
