Yesterday, May 29, 2025, Round 4 of Norway Chess 2025 in Stavanger delivered a masterclass in high-stakes chess, with decisive results and gripping battles in both the Open and Women’s tournaments. With today being a rest day, let’s dive into the action from yesterday and explore other chess tournaments keeping the board alight.
Norway Chess 2025: Round 4 Highlights
Norway Chess 2025, running from May 26 to June 6, features six-player double round-robin events for both Open and Women’s sections, with equal prize funds of 1,690,000 NOK (~$167,000). The format awards 3 points for a classical win, 1.5 points for a draw followed by an Armageddon win, and 1 point for an Armageddon loss, ensuring every game has a winner. Here’s how Round 4 unfolded:
Open Tournament
• Magnus Carlsen Takes the Lead: GM Magnus Carlsen (World No. 1) bounced back from two consecutive Armageddon losses with a classical win over GM Arjun Erigaisi (World No. 4). Playing the English Opening, Carlsen capitalized on Arjun’s defensive inexperience, securing 3 points and the sole lead with 8 points. Carlsen noted, “I felt like I did more or less everything correct to put pressure on him, and often people crack, and he did today”.
• Gukesh Outlasts Caruana in Armageddon: World Champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju, fresh off his 19th birthday win, faced GM Fabiano Caruana (World No. 5). Caruana missed a winning chance in the classical game, and after a tense battle with both players in time trouble, Gukesh prevailed in Armageddon, earning 1.5 points. This marked his second straight win, bringing his total to 6 points.
• Wei Yi Holds Nakamura: GM Wei Yi (World No. 8) drew with GM Hikaru Nakamura (World No. 2) in classical play and won the Armageddon with Black, leveraging a time advantage to secure 1.5 points. This victory followed Wei’s Armageddon upset over Carlsen the previous day, showcasing his clutch performance.
Standings After Round 4 (Open):
• Magnus Carlsen: 8 points
• Others: Specific standings for other players weren’t fully detailed, but Caruana and Nakamura trailed behind. Check Chess.com for live updates.
Women’s Tournament
• Sara Khadem’s Breakthrough: IM Sara Khadem scored the only classical win of the round, capitalizing on a blunder by GM Lei Tingjie. Despite struggling with physical pain, Khadem’s resilience paid off, earning her 3 points and her first win of the tournament.
• Ju Wenjun’s Armageddon Mastery: Women’s World Champion GM Ju Wenjun defeated GM Humpy Koneru in Armageddon, securing 1.5 points. Ju has yet to win in classical but remains a force in sudden-death games.
• Vaishali’s First Win: GM Vaishali Rameshbabu drew with GM Anna Muzychuk in a 14-move classical game but won in Armageddon after Muzychuk missed a mate-in-one threat, earning 1.5 points.
• Humpy and Muzychuk Lead: Despite their Armageddon losses, GMs Humpy Koneru and Anna Muzychuk maintained their co-lead with 4.5 points each.
Standings After Round 4 (Women’s):
• Humpy Koneru, Anna Muzychuk: 4.5 points
• Others: Lei Tingjie and Ju Wenjun trailed; see Chess.com for full standings.
The round saw five decisive results, with Carlsen and Khadem claiming classical wins, while Gukesh, Wei, Ju, and Vaishali triumphed in Armageddon. Posts on X captured the excitement, with @NorwayChess hailing Carlsen’s lead and @ChessbaseIndia celebrating Gukesh’s Armageddon victory.
What’s Next for Norway Chess?
Today’s rest day gives players like Caruana, who missed a key chance against Gukesh, and Arjun, who faltered against Carlsen, time to reset. Round 5 kicks off tomorrow, May 31, at 11 a.m. ET, with pairings like Carlsen vs. Wei Yi and Ju Wenjun vs. Lei Tingjie promising more drama. Follow live on Chess.com, NorwayChess.no, or Nakamura’s Kick channel.
Other Chess Tournaments Happening Now
The chess world is buzzing with activity beyond Stavanger:
• Chess.com Classic 2025: The playoffs are ongoing, with Magnus Carlsen dominating the Winners Bracket, recently defeating Hikaru Nakamura and Nodirbek Abdusattorov to reach the Grand Final. This online event highlights Carlsen’s prowess in faster time controls.
• Chess Festival Prague 2025: Featuring GMs like Anish Giri, David Navara, and Aravindh Chithambaram, this event offers classical and rapid games, with opening analyses and entertaining miniatures. It’s currently underway, drawing fans with its diverse format.
• Titled Tuesday (May 27, 2025): GM Wesley So and Minh Le scored 10/11 in the final Titled Tuesday events, with Le earning a top-eight spot in the 2025 Speed Chess Championship race. These weekly online tournaments keep the competitive spirit alive.
• Recently Concluded Events:
• Superbet Chess Classic Romania 2025: GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu won his first Grand Chess Tour title, finishing with a draw against GM Levon Aronian, earning $77,667 and 10 GCT points.
• Sharjah Masters 2025: GM Anish Giri took first with 7/9, outlasting GM Aditya Mittal in a 91-move epic. GMs Aleksandar Indjic and Nodirbek Abdusattorov followed closely.
• TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament (Sweden): GM Javokhir Sindarov won with 4.5/7, drawing with GM Vasyl Ivanchuk in the final round, concluding on May 27.
Why It Matters
Norway Chess 2025 continues to set the standard with its elite field, including World Champions Gukesh and Ju Wenjun, and its commitment to gender equality through identical formats and prizes. Yesterday’s Round 4 showcased Carlsen’s resilience, Gukesh’s growing confidence, and Khadem’s grit, while other tournaments like Prague and the Chess.com Classic highlight the global depth of chess talent. Whether it’s Carlsen’s classical dominance or Wei Yi’s Armageddon heroics, the game is thriving.
Catch up on Round 4 games via Chess.com or NorwayChess.no, analyze positions with the ChessBase Mega Database, or join the conversation on X with @NorwayChess and @ChessbaseIndia. Who’s your pick to win Norway Chess? Drop your predictions below!
Sources: Chess.com, NorwayChess.no, ChessBase, Times Now, and posts on X.
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