Norway Chess 2025: Gukesh stuns Nakamura on 19th birthday; Humpy joins women's lead

Indian chess fans had much to cheer about in round three of Norway Chess 2025, as World Champion D. Gukesh celebrated his 19th birthday in style by defeating GM Hikaru Nakamura in classical chess, while GM Koneru Humpy scored the only decisive result in the Women's section to climb into joint first place.

Meanwhile, GM Arjun Erigaisi, who had started strong with back-to-back victories, lost to top seed GM Fabiano Caruana, ceding the sole lead in the Open section. GM R Vaishali, after holding GM Ju Wenjun to a classical draw, faltered in a short armageddon loss.

After two narrow losses to start his campaign, Gukesh bounced back with a classy win over Nakamura in a Giuoco Piano. He showcased improved time management and resilience under pressure. The match turned on the 30th move when Gukesh declined a draw offer and instead played 31.h4!, turning the game in his favor. Nakamura’s blunder with 31...Qd6? sealed his fate, giving the Indian superstar a much-needed morale boost.

This victory was doubly special—it came at midnight Indian time, as fans across the country rang in Gukesh’s 19th birthday with the sweet gift of a win over a top-5 opponent.

GM Arjun Erigaisi, who had entered round three tied for the lead, faced off against American GM Fabiano Caruana in what turned into a tactical slugfest. Despite being a pawn up with connected passers, Arjun was undone by Caruana’s superior piece activity and his own overestimation of his position. The loss not only cost Arjun the lead but also dropped him a place in the live world rankings.

Still, Arjun remains a strong contender in the tightly packed field, and with matchups against Carlsen and Gukesh on the horizon, the tournament is far from over for the Telangana prodigy.

Humpy’s share lead

In the Women’s section, GM Koneru Humpy returned to winning ways by defeating IM Sarasadat Khadem in the only classical win of the round. Humpy launched an aggressive kingside pawn storm beginning with 14.g4!, which Khadem failed to neutralize. Humpy’s precision with central passed pawns and an energetic finish with 37.Re6! sealed the win.

With this result, Humpy now shares the lead with GM Anna Muzychuk, who survived a lost armageddon position to hold a draw against GM Lei Tingjie.

GM R Vaishali played solidly in the classical game against Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun, holding a draw despite slight pressure. However, in the armageddon rematch, she walked into an opening trap set by Ju with the rare 8.Be2!?, and after 8...Bf5?? a3!, Vaishali was caught off-guard. Unable to recover, she lost in just 19 moves.

Round 4: India vs. the World

The upcoming Round 4 features heavyweight matchups:

Gukesh vs. Caruana – A top-of-the-table clash as the Indian World Champion faces the tournament leader.

Carlsen vs. Arjun – A marquee duel between the Indian #2 and the former World Champion.

Ju Wenjun vs. Humpy – A crucial encounter in the women’s section as the co-leaders battle for sole first.

Vaishali vs. Muzychuk – Vaishali will look to bounce back against the co-leader.

Standings after round 3

Open Section

Fabiano Caruana – 6 points

Magnus Carlsen – 5

Arjun Erigaisi – 4.5

Hikaru Nakamura – 4.5

Gukesh D – 3

Wei Yi – 2.5

Women’s Section

Koneru Humpy – 6

Anna Muzychuk – 6

Ju Wenjun – 4

Lei Tingjie – 4

R Vaishali – 2

Sara Khadem – 2