OSLO : World champion D Gukesh and compatriot R Praggnanandhaa endured disappointing defeats on the second day of Norway Chess, while France’s Alireza Firouzja surged to the top of the standings with back-to-back victories.
Gukesh failed to convert a promising position against American Wesley So in a marathon 116-move classical game before losing the Armageddon tiebreaker. The defeat left the Indian tied for second place with So on 2.5 points.
Firouzja, playing despite an ankle injury that required crutches and a protective boot, defeated Praggnanandhaa after turning around an initially difficult position. The Frenchman moved to six points after two rounds.
“I have a lot of pain, but it keeps me focused,” Firouzja said.
Defending champion Magnus Carlsen also needed an Armageddon win to overcome Germany’s Vincent Keymer after letting winning chances slip in the classical game.
In the women’s section, India’s Divya Deshmukh continued her impressive debut by defeating veteran compatriot Koneru Humpy in Armageddon to climb into joint second place on three points.
Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the women’s standings with 4.5 points after defeating China’s Zhu Jiner in Armageddon.
