Norway Chess: Pragg humbles Carlsen once again; Gukesh, Divya suffer classical losses

NEW DELHI: If you crook the pages of an English dictionary to find the meaning of the connection "cliché", it volition archer you that a cliché is thing but a operation oregon an thought that has been truthful overused that it nary longer holds its archetypal meaning.

At the 14th variation of Norway Chess successful Oslo, the feeling of daze and disappointment associated with a decision faced by Magnus Carlsen has go a spot of a cliché. The effect itself doesn't truly output that feeling of daze oregon disappointment anymore.On Tuesday successful Round 8 of the tournament, erstwhile Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa took down the section leader for the 2nd consecutive clip successful 2 weeks successful classical chess, it felt arsenic if each the World No.

1 and five-time World Champion needed astatine that infinitesimal was a spot to fell his face.

In a crippled that began with the wide volition of seeking revenge for his erstwhile defeat, Carlsen, playing with the achromatic pieces, suffered his 4th nonaccomplishment successful classical games successful this tournament. Thanks to this drastically appalling tally of form, the 35-year-old present stands second-to-last with 9 points.Over the board, successful a crisp French Defence, Praggnanandhaa, playing Black, accepted structural harm aboriginal but gained progressive portion play and cardinal control.

Carlsen’s kingside information became a recurring contented aft 14.Kf1. Black gradually coordinated his rooks, bishops, and queen to prehend the initiative, winning cardinal exchanges and maintaining relentless pressure.

Despite Carlsen’s agelong resistance, Pragg converted his enactment into a ascendant endgame attack, forcing Carlsen to blunder with 48.Kf4. The crippled lasted 50 moves arsenic the Indian Grandmaster stayed firmly successful contention for the Norway Chess crown, with rounds inactive remaining."It's much important for the tourney that I get this triumph than reasoning that it's Magnus. Of course, it's large to bash it against Magnus, but I deliberation winning immoderate crippled astatine this signifier of the tourney is good," said the 20-year-old, who presently stands 2nd with 12 points.

Gukesh and Divya Deshmukh look classical defeats

The reigning satellite champion, overmuch similar Carlsen, has not managed to nutrient his champion chess successful this tournament, starring to different classical loss, this clip against Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja.

In a crippled that lasted 61 moves, Gukesh, playing with the achromatic pieces, was wholly outfoxed aft forgetting his prep.In the Ragozin Defence, Gukesh’s ambitious kingside enlargement (8...g5, 10...h5) created an imbalance but near semipermanent weaknesses."I came up with this caller 7...Bf5, but I deliberation helium reacted successful the champion mode possible, and I conscionable forgot my prep, and I'm beauteous definite I mixed up something," Gukesh admitted later.

Alireza exploited the tactical opportunities and won a pawn with 12.Qxb7. After simplifying into rook endgames, helium steadily improved his king enactment and portion placement.Gukesh’s counterplay faded arsenic Alireza’s progressive rook and unsafe g-pawn generated decisive threats, converting the vantage into a well-controlled classical victory.

With this win, Alireza stays 2nd with 13 points, trailing lone tourney person Wesley So, who is astatine 14.

Gukesh, however, remains past with lone 8 points.In the women's section, Divya Deshmukh underwent a likewise damning acquisition to Gukesh, arsenic the women's conception tourney leader, Bibisara Assaubayeva, earned a classical triumph implicit the Indian.Following a Closed Sicilian, Divya built aboriginal queenside unit and won material, earning herself an advantageous presumption successful the middlegame. However, Bibisara remained highly active.

The crippled wholly turned aft Black’s cardinal interruption with 35...e4 and the almighty beforehand 39...e3, which opened up lines against White’s king.

Bibisara played energetically, coordinating her queen, rook, and bishop into a nonstop attack. White’s pieces became wholly tied down defensively, and Black’s inaugural culminated successful a decisive kingside assault, earning a singular classical triumph for the Kazakhstani Grandmaster, who present continues to pb the tourney with 15.5 points.

On the different hand, Divya, who was 2nd earlier this game, dropped down to 3rd with 10 points.Elsewhere: Koneru Humpy picks up Armageddon win, Wesley So keeps his pb intact (USE H2 FORMAT)Koneru Humpy, who has struggled with her chess successful this tournament, drew her classical crippled against Anna Muzychuk earlier going connected to gully with Black and clinch the triumph successful the Armageddon tie-break. Meanwhile, China's Zhu Jiner completed a decisive classical triumph implicit her compatriot and Women's World Champion, Ju Wenjun.

In the unfastened section, the day's lone Armageddon came successful the matchup betwixt So and Vincent Keymer, wherever So secured the triumph to enactment 1 constituent wide astatine the apical of the table.