Oslo, June 1 — The Indian contingent endured a miserable Round 6 at Norway Chess as all four Indians in action lost, while the tournament’s dynamics shifted dramatically: Wesley So seized sole lead, Magnus Carlsen continued a late resurgence, and Vincent Keymer mounted a crucial recovery. With four rounds remaining, the leaderboard is wide open.
Wesley So of the United States moved clear on 11.5 points after a classical victory over R Praggnanandhaa, collecting the full three points and leaving Praggnanandhaa stranded on six points at the bottom of the six-player standings. So’s win showcased his endgame mastery as he patiently converted an extra pawn into a decisive finish.
World champion D Gukesh slipped back to a loss after showing promise in the previous round. He fell to Vincent Keymer, who exploited severe time trouble to grind out a win and raise his total to eight points. Reflecting on the finish, Keymer said, “I am a pawn up, and humanly, with the time situation that we have, I actually did have very serious winning chances,” underlining how Gukesh struggled under the clock. Gukesh, however, remained defiant after the loss and said he still hoped to mount a comeback with four rounds left.
Defending champion and world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen continued his climb with an authoritative classical win over Alireza Firouzja, moving to 7.5 points and into fourth place. Carlsen, who looked vulnerable in the early rounds, is gathering momentum and reasserting himself as a title contender on home soil.
In the women’s event, World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh (8.5 points) relinquished the lead after a classical defeat to five-time world champion Ju Wenjun (8 points), dropping to second but remaining within striking distance of leader Bibisara Assaubayeva (9.5 points). Assaubayeva extended her advantage by outlasting Koneru Humpy (5.5 points) in an Armageddon tiebreak after the two drew in classical play. For Koneru, the campaign has been frustrating as she struggles to find form compared with her previous Norway Chess showing.
With only four rounds remaining, the Norwegian capital has become the stage for a tense run-in as So, Carlsen and Keymer press their bids while the Indian players seek to regroup.
Original Source: https://theshillongtimes.com/2026/06/02/indian-quartet-endures-miserable-day-at-norway-chess-as-all-four-suffer-defeats/
Category: SPORTS
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Publish Date: 2026-06-02 06:24:00
