Gukesh beats World No 1 Carlsen again, this time there was no table slam

Talk about instant justice, there was one served on board No. 3 of the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb on Thursday when India's D Gukesh defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.

Gukesh's victory over Carlsen in the Rapid game is significant on various levels. To start with, it came a day after the Norwegian superstar claimed that he regards Gukesh as a 'weaker' player in the shorter format of the game.

The other significant part of the result is that Gukesh has now beaten Carlsen in consecutive games. The first time was in early June when Gukesh scored his maiden classical win over Carlsen, a game made more famous by the favourite's table slam moment and a pat on the back of his opponent.

"Beating Magnus is always special for sure. I think this also gives a bit more confidence... it's nicer that I could win from two losing positions," Gukesh told the official broadcaster shortly after the game.

Just like in the round six game in Norway Chess last month, Gukesh was worse in the middle game, but showed his peculiar fighting instinct to find a way back. "It's not always easy. Just try to make the most of the position and not lose easily," he said.

"(I take) one move at a time and stay in the game," Gukesh said with a smile. By move 20, Gukesh had played a couple of average knight moves, which gave Carlsen a clear edge. But the 19-year-old defended purposefully by swinging a rook into the sixth rank. Gukesh also played fast, which meant he had more time on the clock compared to Carlsen. The time scramble proved decisive for the five-time World Champion, who made a series of bad rook moves.

Gukesh used his spare time wisely and found the right moves, putting his queen's mobility to optimum use and using an extra knight to coordinate the attacks. Carlsen hung around until move 49, maybe hoping Gukesh would blunder, like he did in their first meeting at Norway Chess. But this time, Gukesh was not in the mood to give any freebies and forced Carlsen to resign.

The game was over, but the camera remained focused on the table, probably expecting an encore of the earlier table slam. But this time, Carlsen was graceful in defeat. He offered a gentle handshake, quickly rearranged the pieces and went back, stopping on the way to check on a nearby board.

A few moments later, Gukesh was swarmed by young fans, seeking autographs on chessboards and other memorabilia. Despite the defeat, Carlsen remains the best player across all formats, while Gukesh is ranked a lowly 42nd in the Rapid format. However, the young Indian has been the best player in the event so far.

After six rounds, Gukesh leads the points table with 10 points, made up of five straight wins. Jan-Krzysztof Duda is second on eight points, while Wesley So is third on 7 points. Carlsen and two others have 6 points each. The Rapid event will end on Friday, with three rounds remaining.