Magnus Carlsen Loses Opening Match at Norway Chess
In a thrilling opening day at Norway Chess, Indian players D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa secured victories in Armageddon tie-breaks, while world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen suffered a rare defeat to Alireza Firouzja. Meanwhile, Bibisara Assaubayeva led the women's standings with an upset win over Humpy Koneru.
In a dramatic start to Norway Chess, India's D Gukesh triumphed against Vincent Keymer after a grueling five-hour match, leveraging a crucial Armageddon win. R Praggnanandhaa similarly outplayed American Grandmaster Wesley So in his decider, securing crucial points.
However, the day's biggest shock came with defending champion Magnus Carlsen's loss to Alireza Firouzja. Despite dominating parts of the game, Carlsen's time mismanagement led to a decisive error, allowing the Frenchman to claim victory at his home tournament.
In the women's event, Bibisara Assaubayeva began strongly with a victory over Humpy Koneru, while Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner also made promising starts. After the initial round, Firouzja and Assaubayeva lead their respective categories.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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