SuperUnited Rapid 2025: Gukesh silences Carlsen, wins five in-a-row to emerge sole leader
Magnus Carlsen had choice words for D Gukesh before the start of Grand Chess Tour SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz 2025. However, the World Champion made the World no.1 eat them in the sixth round as he chained his fifth consecutive win at this event. For the second month in-a-row, Gukesh defeated Carlsen from a losing position. Since last year, the Norwegian has been vocal about the Rapid being the proper format of chess instead of Classical. The 18th World Champion defeated the World no.1 in his preferred format. Is he still the 'presumably weaker' opponent in this event after emerging sole leader 10/12 or will Carlsen start taking him seriously in the Blitz event? We will have to wait and watch. Round 7 starts today from 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. Photo: Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour
'Presumably weaker' upsets the World no.1
"Beating Magnus is always special for sure. I think this also gives a bit more confidence in a sense that I just had a horrible position from the opening. I just mixed up something really bad. It's nice that two losing positions in-a-row, I could win against Magnus." - The World Champion, D Gukesh on what it meant to win against Magnus Carlsen in Round 6. Garry Kasparov on Gukesh's victory over Magnus said, "Look very important day. Now we can question Magnus' domination, because it's not just the second loss but it's a very convincing loss."
Why this win for Gukesh is significant against Magnus? Not only because this is his first win against the World no.1 in a Rapid rated game but also due to what the Norwegian said before the start tournament. "I think Gukesh actually played quite well here last time but it remains to be proven that he is one of the best players in such a format. This is a very very strong field that we have this year. Apart from Saric also, players like Giri and Gukesh, they have a lot to prove. There aren't a lot of players you can feast on. So in the course of 27 rounds, things usually show and Gukesh hasn't done anything to indicate that he is going to do well in such a tournament but I hope for his sake that he can play better. Playing him in this tournament, I will sort of approach it as I am playing one of the presumably weaker players in the tournament I should beat."
Round 4: Gukesh crushes Abdusattorov
The World Champion, D Gukesh (2654) played six Rapid rated games against Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB, 2740). Gukesh won one, Abdusattorov two and the remaining three ended in draws. The World Rapid 2021 Champion went wrong early in the game by capturing a pawn, leaving his king vulnerable at the center of the board.
16.Qxc5 Ba6 17.Qd4 g5 18.Bg3 Ne4 19.Rc1 Qa8 20.Qd1? and we reach the above position. 20...d4! would have exploited the king's vulnerability. 20...Rc8 21.Nd4 Nc5 22.Rc2 a4 23.Kd2? Rb7-+ 24.Qc1 Bc4 25.f3 Qa5+ 26.Kd1 Nb3 27.Be1 Qa6 and it's over as White cannot avoid heavy material loss.
Carlsen - Firouzja
Alireza Firouzja (FRA, 2767) has an extra pawn in the above rook and few pawns endgame. If anyone can win it, it is Black, not his opponent, Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2819). The complex endgame caused the World no.1 to falter 46.Ra8?? Rc3+ 47.Kf2 Ke4 48.Re8+ Kf5 49.Ra8 now Rc2+ was winning for Black. The game continued 49...Ke4 50.Re8+ Kd4? Black is moving the king in the wrong direction. Black got one more opportunity after few moves which he missed too and the game eventually ended in a draw.
Round 5: Gukesh outplays Caruana
R Praggnanandhaa (2688) played five Rapid rated games against Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 2819). Carlsen won one and the remaining four ended in draws. This one also ended in a draw after a 74-move long battle.
Gukesh - Caruana: 2-0
D Gukesh has never defeated Fabiano Caruana (USA, 2756) in a Rapid rated game. He lost all three battles against the World no.3. It was about time for Gukesh to start scoring his first win against him.
19...Bf6? allowed White to seize his opportunity 20.d4 e4 21.d5 exf3 22.Bxf3 Nce5 23.dxe6 Nxf3+ 24.Qxf3 Qe7 25.Nd5 Qxe6 26.Bxf6 Nxf6 27.Qxf5 Qxf5 28.Ne7+ Kh7 29.Nxf5 and White slowly outplayed Black to win the game.
Round 6: Gukesh turns the tables
Magnus Carlsen and D Gukesh played only two Rapid rated games. Carlsen won one and the other one ended in a draw. This is their first over-the-board battle since the table banging incident at 13th Norway Chess last month.
22.Qe2 Nf6 23.f4 would have stirred up trouble for Black. Instead, 22.Rg1 Nf6 23.b4 allowed Black to get back in the game.
35.Rc5? allowed e4! 36.Qd4+ Kg8 37.Rd1 exf3 38.Re5?? Qh3 39.Kxf3 Nbc4 40.Ra5 Nxa5 and Black won the game in the next few moves.
GM Srinath Narayanan tweeted on Gukesh's victory over Carlsen
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Replay Round 4-6 games
Round 6 results
| Bo. | No. | Rtg | White | Result | Black | Rtg | No. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 2740 | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 0 - 2 | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2756 | 8 | |||
| 2 | 9 | 2819 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | 0 - 2 | GM | Gukesh, D | 2654 | 7 | |||
| 3 | 1 | 2687 | GM | Giri, Anish | 1 - 1 | GM | Praggnanandhaa, R | 2688 | 6 | |||
| 4 | 2 | 2589 | GM | Saric, Ivan | 1 - 1 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | 2767 | 5 | |||
| 5 | 3 | 2709 | GM | So, Wesley | 1 - 1 | GM | Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | 2699 | 4 |
Standings after Round 6
Round 7 pairings
| Bo. | No. | Rtg | White | Result | Black | Rtg | No. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 2699 | GM | Duda, Jan-Krzysztof | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | 2740 | 10 | ||||
| 2 | 5 | 2767 | GM | Firouzja, Alireza | GM | So, Wesley | 2709 | 3 | ||||
| 3 | 6 | 2688 | GM | Praggnanandhaa, R | GM | Saric, Ivan | 2589 | 2 | ||||
| 4 | 7 | 2654 | GM | Gukesh, D | GM | Giri, Anish | 2687 | 1 | ||||
| 5 | 8 | 2756 | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | 2819 | 9 |
Schedule and Format
SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz will have three rounds per day in the Rapid portion from 2nd to 4th July. The Blitz event will take place on 5th and 6th July. It will be a double round-robin event for the Blitz which means nine rounds will be played on each day. Round 1 starts at 3 p.m. local time, 6:30 p.m. IST. It will be a 10-player Round Robin event. Time control for Rapid will be 25 minutes + 10 seconds increment. For Blitz, it will be 5 minutes + 2 seconds increment. Only on last day, 6th July, Blitz Round 10 will start at 2 p.m. local time, 5:30 p.m. IST.
Prize
The total prize fund for each of the Rapid and Blitz event is US$ 175000. The top three prizes are $40000, $30000 and $25000.
