GCT 2025, Zagreb: Gukesh beats Carlsen, takes sole lead after Day 2

Defending world champion D. Gukesh beat Norway’s Magnus Carlsen in the sixth round of the Grand Chess Tournament in Zagreb, Croatia on Thursday.

The Indian, who was the joint-leader after the opening day, now has taken the sole lead with 10 points after beating the World No. 1.

In the fourth and fifth round of the tournament, Gukesh beat Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and American Fabiano Caruana before facing Carlsen.

In the lead-up of the match against the teenager, Carlsen had said the would approach it as if he is coming up against ‘one of the presumably weaker players.’

“I think Gukesh played quite well here last time, but it remains to be proven that he’s one of the best players in this format,” said the Norwegian. “We have a very, very strong field…Gukesh hasn’t done anything to [show] that he’s going to do well in such a tournament. I hope, for his sake, that he can do better. But playing him in this tournament, I will approach it as if I’m playing one of the presumably weaker players (in the tournament).”

This was the first of three meetings between Gukesh and Carlsen. While Thursday’s match was played in the rapid format, the upcoming matches will be played in the blitz format.