Magnus Carlsen bounced back strongly in Round 4 of Norway Chess 2026 by defeating reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in classical chess, securing his first full classical victory of the tournament.
Playing with the black pieces, the former world champion outplayed Gukesh in a high-profile clash that revisited memories of their dramatic encounter at last year’s Norway Chess event.
The victory earned Carlsen 3 points and lifted him to fourth place in the standings after a difficult start to the tournament.
Carlsen Recovers After Tough Opening Rounds
The seven-time Norway Chess champion had endured a shaky beginning to the competition, suffering classical defeats against Alireza Firouzja and Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in earlier rounds.
Against Gukesh, however, Carlsen showcased his trademark positional mastery and endgame precision.
The Norwegian grandmaster gradually seized control after the opening phase, using an active kingside rook and strong piece coordination to pressure the Indian teenager throughout the middlegame.
Gukesh attempted an ambitious setup early on, but Carlsen converted his positional advantage smoothly to claim the win.
Revenge for Last Year’s Dramatic Defeat
The matchup carried added significance because of their controversial game in Norway Chess last year.
In that encounter, Carlsen had blundered in a winning position, allowing Gukesh to secure a memorable victory. The loss drew global attention after Carlsen reacted emotionally by banging the table in frustration.
This time, the world number one avoided mistakes and delivered a composed performance against the reigning world champion.
Wesley So Stops Firouzja’s Winning Run
In another major result of Round 4, American grandmaster Wesley So handed tournament leader Alireza Firouzja his first match loss of Norway Chess 2026.
Their classical game ended in a draw before So defeated Firouzja in the Armageddon tiebreak with the white pieces.
Despite the defeat, Firouzja continues to lead the standings comfortably after recording two classical wins and one Armageddon victory earlier in the tournament.
Praggnanandhaa Wins Again in Armageddon
Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu also secured an important Armageddon victory, defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer with the black pieces.
The result keeps Praggnanandhaa in second place, cutting Firouzja’s lead to 2.5 points heading into the tournament’s first rest day.
Wesley So currently occupies third place, just half a point behind Praggnanandhaa.
Gukesh Drops to Bottom of Standings
Following the classical defeat against Carlsen, Gukesh now sits at the bottom of the standings.
Before Round 4, the Indian world champion had already suffered two Armageddon losses and managed only one match victory, which came against Vincent Keymer in a rapid-play decider.
With several rounds still remaining, the race for the Norway Chess 2026 title remains wide open.
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