American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura handed a comprehensive defeat to reigning world champion D Gukesh, ending the Indian teenager’s run of classical victories at the prestigious Norway Chess tournament on Tuesday.
Nakamura, playing with white pieces in the eighth round, dictated the course of the four-hour-long game from the outset, converting his early advantage into a full three-point win and avenging his earlier loss to Gukesh in Round 3.
“It was a very smooth game, I'm very happy with it. It looks very good,” said Nakamura after the win. He noted that Gukesh appeared uncomfortable with the pawn structure, which may have led to time pressure and errors. “It was very clear to me that, based on the long think, he didn't like the pawn structure at all,” he added.
The 19-year-old Gukesh had returned to form after a rocky start in the tournament, defeating world No.1 Magnus Carlsen and fellow Indian Arjun Erigaisi in previous rounds. However, Nakamura’s clinical play left no space for the young Indian to mount a comeback.
Nakamura also offered strong criticism of Gukesh’s overall play in the event. “It’s a very strange term, because his result is very good, but if we're being objective about chess, I think he's played horribly,” he said. The American pointed out that Gukesh had been in losing positions against Carlsen, Erigaisi, Caruana, and even Wei Yi.
Also read: Gukesh outplays Erigaisi to jump to second spot
Despite his criticism, Nakamura acknowledged the Indian’s mental strength and defensive resilience. “He's a lot less emotional than the other two players (Erigaisi and R. Praggnanandhaa), and that has served him very well. His defensive skills are very good,” he added.
Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi kept his campaign alive with a strong performance against world No.3 Fabiano Caruana. The 20-year-old Indian capitalised on a time scramble to trap the American and claim three full points.
With just two rounds remaining, Caruana retained a narrow lead with 12.5 points. Carlsen, who lost to China’s Wei Yi in the Armageddon tie-break, was placed second with 12. Nakamura and Gukesh were tied for third on 11.5 points, while Erigaisi followed closely at 10.5.
Reflecting on his own performance in the tournament, Nakamura hinted that this could be his final appearance at Norway Chess, and possibly his last classical encounter with Carlsen. “India is basically the new Soviet Union as far as chess goes,” he said, citing the emergence of multiple Indian stars including Gukesh, Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Aravindh Chithambaram.
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