Despite being on the verge of losing, the 19-year-old Indian grandmaster flipped the tables in round six, achieving a comeback victory.
Gukesh was in a difficult position for most of the match, but seized on a single misstep by Carlsen in a tense time scramble. Gukesh scored decisively, marking an iconic moment in his chess career in a crucial game comprising nearly four hours and 62 moves of furious play. The win was all the more significant as it occurred after a previous loss to Carlsen in the tournament’s first round.
With 8.5 points, Gukesh is currently third in the tournament rankings, one point behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. The outcome also intensified the competition as the event approached its final rounds.
A visibly frustrated Carlson, slammed the table and left the event without speaking to the media. On the other hand, Gukesh stayed calm and declined to speak after the match. Gukesh’s coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, stated that this breakthrough will increase his confidence for future games and motivate many other Indian players.
