Gukesh Beats Magnus Carlsen Again, Takes Commanding Lead In SuperUnited Rapid And Blitz 2025 | Chess News

Reigning world champion D Gukesh continued his sensational run, defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen once again at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz 2025 tournament in Zagreb, Croatia. The 18-year-old Indian grandmaster now boasts a five-game winning streak, firmly placing himself at the top of the leaderboard with 10 points at the end of Day 2. Carlsen, struggling to find his rhythm, trails with just six points.

The highly anticipated clash saw Carlsen playing with the white pieces, while Gukesh responded with black. Despite a strong start from the Norwegian, who seemed to be in control early on, a critical misstep turned the tide. Carlsen’s decision to push his b-pawn to b4 opened the door for Gukesh to seize the initiative in the rapid format encounter.

From that point, the young Indian didn’t look back. As Carlsen’s position rapidly deteriorated and his clock ticked down to under 30 seconds, he offered a handshake and resigned, without much visible frustration or even eye contact.

The victory further extends Gukesh’s recent dominance over Carlsen, following a memorable win last month during Round 6 of the Norway Chess tournament. Chess legend Garry Kasparov, providing commentary, criticized Carlsen’s b4 move and questioned whether his longstanding supremacy is now under threat. “This wasn’t just a loss, it was a convincing one,” Kasparov remarked.

Speaking after the match, Gukesh acknowledged the rocky start but was pleased with how things turned around. “Yes, beating Magnus is always special, for sure. I think this also gives a bit more confidence in the sense that, like, I just had a horrible position from the opening. I just mixed up something really bad. It’s nice that, like, two losing positions in a row, I could win against Magnus.”

Heading into the final rounds, Gukesh holds a two-point lead over Jan-Krzysztof Duda, his nearest challenger, as he aims to finish strong in Zagreb.