Gukesh defeats Carlsen again in Croatia tournament

Zagreb

Indian chess star D Gukesh surprised world number one Magnus Carlsen once again at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 event in Zagreb. With this big win on late Thursday night, Gukesh extended his winning streak to five games and became the sole leader with 10 points. Carlsen followed with six points, while Jan-Krzysztof Duda stayed close behind with eight points.

Last month, Gukesh had also beaten Carlsen at Norway Chess. This latest win shows Gukesh’s strong form and growing confidence. In the rapid game, Carlsen played with white pieces and started strong, trying to create chances against Gukesh’s black pieces.

However, Carlsen made a big mistake when he moved his b pawn to b4. Gukesh quickly took control and pushed Carlsen into a tough position. With less than 30 seconds left on the clock, Carlsen understood that he had no chance to win and resigned from the game. He shook hands with Gukesh but did not show much emotion.

Famous chess legend Garry Kasparov, who was commenting on the game, said this loss was very convincing and questioned Carlsen’s domination. He also criticized Carlsen’s move of the b pawn.

Gukesh admitted that his opening moves were not great, but he was happy to turn things around. "Beating Magnus is always special. This gives me more confidence," Gukesh said after the game.