Round 4 of Norway Chess 2025: Carlsen Beats Arjun To Take the Lead
Magnus Carlsen scored a smooth win over Arjun Erigaisi in round 4 of Norway Chess 2025, taking the sole lead in the tournament. Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana missed a win against Gukesh Dommaraju, and the game ended in an armageddon victory for Gukesh on his birthday!
Open Section Highlights
Carlsen Dominates Arjun
Carlsen played the English Opening and slowly outplayed Arjun. The Indian GM made a critical mistake with 30…Re6, allowing Carlsen to take full control. Carlsen ended the game confidently and now leads the tournament.
“You get presented with more and more difficult choices and eventually you go wrong.” – Magnus Carlsen
Carlsen has now beaten both Arjun and Gukesh, showing he’s still the one to beat!
Gukesh Escapes Caruana
Gukesh held a tough position against Caruana in the classical game and won the armageddon round. He admitted he often loses on his birthday but was glad to break that pattern this time.
Caruana had winning chances but missed his moment. After a few inaccuracies, Gukesh saved the game and turned things around in armageddon with smart attacking play.
Wei Yi Shocks Nakamura
Wei Yi beat Hikaru Nakamura in armageddon after holding a draw in classical. This means Wei defeated the world number 1 (Carlsen) and number 2 (Nakamura) on back-to-back days!
Wei played confidently with the black pieces and handled time pressure better in the final game. Despite his wins, he’s still at the bottom of the standings because armageddon wins only award 1.5 points.
“Even though I’m in last place, my opponents are very strong.” – Wei Yi
Nakamura recap of the day’s events
Women’s Section Highlights
Humpy & Muzychuk Still Lead
Koneru Humpy and Anna Muzychuk both lost in armageddon but remain in the lead. Their steady classical performance has kept them ahead.
Khadem Scores Her First Win
Sara Khadem earned her first victory of the tournament by defeating Lei Tingjie in the only classical win of the women’s round. Despite being worse for most of the game, she capitalized on Lei’s blunder late in the endgame.
“I was just sitting there and playing… then in the end she blundered.” – Sara Khadem
Vaishali Beats Muzychuk in Armageddon
Vaishali Rameshbabu played cautiously in classical and then struck in armageddon. Despite being worse, she fought back with a queen and knight combo to deliver checkmate.
Ju Wenjun Overpowers Humpy
Ju Wenjun drew the classical game but played aggressively in armageddon with an unusual opening. Her attack was strong and forced Humpy into a losing position.
What’s Next?
Round 5 takes place on Saturday, May 31, with a huge matchup between Caruana and Carlsen, a repeat of the 2018 World Championship!
Photos: Michal Walusza, Maria Emelianova, Norway Chess
Source: CHESS.com
