NEW DELHI: Round 6 of Norway Chess 2025 marked the beginning of the reverse fixtures at the Deichman Bjørvika library in Oslo. As per tournament tradition, the pairings mirrored the opening round, but with opposite-colored pieces. In the opening round, the Indian contingent enjoyed a stellar day, with D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, and Divya Deshmukh winning their matches (all via Armageddon), while only Koneru Humpy lost. However, the reverse fixtures turned grim for India, as all three heavyweights suffered damaging classical defeats, and veteran Humpy also lost her Armageddon tie-break.
Norway Chess Scoring System
Norway Chess features a unique scoring system that places a heavy premium on classical wins. A classical victory awards 3 points, while a classical draw gives 1 point, with the winner of the subsequent Armageddon tie-break earning an extra 0.5 points. This makes classical losses particularly devastating, as the Indian players painfully experienced in both the Open and Women's sections at the end of Round 6.
Keymer Outmanoeuvres Gukesh
Reigning world champion D Gukesh, playing with black pieces, faced a formidable opponent in Germany's Vincent Keymer. Keymer steered a London-style opening into a highly dynamic middlegame. Gukesh paid a heavy price for being overly adventurous in defense. After capturing the b2-pawn with 18...Bxb2, White generated relentless pressure through central advances and active rook play. Keymer's pieces quickly invaded the seventh rank, winning decisive material before a passed f-pawn sealed a convincing 52-move classical victory.
Praggnanandhaa Also Beaten
Following his Round 5 loss to compatriot Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa was determined to secure a positive result against American Grandmaster Wesley So, who had the white pieces. Praggnanandhaa met So's queenside setup with an ambitious kingside expansion, launching 9...f5 and 12...g5 to seize the early initiative. After opening lines against White's king, Black secured central control and created a dangerous passed d-pawn. However, after simplifying the position through exchanges, So brilliantly targeted Black's overextended d-pawn and steered the game into an endgame where his king and pieces became increasingly dominant. The critical breakthrough arrived when White's central pawns surged forward as Black's coordination faltered. Demonstrating flawless endgame technique, So forced Praggnanandhaa to resign on move 63.
Following these defeats, Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa find themselves at the bottom of the standings with 6.5 and 6 points, respectively, while So surges to the top with 11.5 points.
Divya Deshmukh Relinquishes the Lead
Entering Sunday's fixture against Women's World Chess Champion Ju Wenjun, Indian Grandmaster Divya Deshmukh was leading the tournament. She needed to replicate her opening-round success against the same opponent. Playing with white pieces, Divya started commendably, handling the Closed Ruy López with poise. However, Ju Wenjun gradually wrested control with an energetic kingside expansion. The Chinese Grandmaster's aggressive advance of the g- and h-pawns created persistent tactical threats, while active rook play piled on pressure. Ju's precise strikes, including 32...g3 and 33...Rxf2, won material and forced favorable simplifications. Transitioning smoothly into a winning rook endgame, the World Champion converted her extra pawn to outfox Divya in a gruelling 69-move encounter. With this defeat, Divya gave away her top spot, dropping to second with 8.5 points.
Carlsen Back to Winning Ways, Humpy's Struggles Continue
It was a day of redemption for five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen. Having conceded three classical losses in the tournament, Carlsen desperately needed to find his form. He did so by defeating Alireza Firouzja, the player who had beaten him in the opening round. Carlsen's victory also completed a rare statistical sweep, as every classical game in Round 6 ended in a win for White.
In the women's section, Koneru Humpy's difficult run continued with a tie-break loss to Bibisara Assaubayeva, who returned to the top of the points table with 9.5 points. Humpy remains at the bottom with 5.5 points. In the other match, Chinese Grandmaster Zhu Jiner defeated defending Norway Chess Women's champion Anna Muzychuk.
