Norway Chess: World Champion D Gukesh scored his first-ever classical win over compatriot Arjun Erigaisi — and did so from a position that seemed all but lost — in a dramatic round seven encounter at the Norway Chess tournament on Monday.
This remarkable triumph came just a day after Gukesh defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the first time in classical chess. The consecutive victories have catapulted the 19-year-old Indian prodigy above Carlsen in the standings, placing him second behind Fabiano Caruana, who overcame Wei Yi in his own match.
The face-off between the two Indian prodigies lived up to the hype. Arjun seized the initiative early, navigating the opening into a sharp and complex middlegame where he outplayed Gukesh and looked set for a commanding win. A critical misstep by Gukesh left him material down and positionally compromised, prompting many analysts to describe his situation as "nearly lost."
