Gukesh, Erigaisi in title contention as Norway Chess enters crucial phase

Indian chess prodigies Gukesh and Erigaisi challenge top players like Carlsen and Nakamura in Norway Chess title bid.

World champion D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi have caught the imagination of chess aficionados by queering the pitch for the likes of Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura, as the Indian duo makes Norway Chess title bid when the tournament recommences Thursday after a rest day.

With eight rounds completed, and just two more to go, Gukesh -- placed third with 11.5 points -- and Erigaisi, with 10.5 points, are in contention for the title in a tournament which has never been won by an Indian.

Gukesh, after an unimpressive start in the tournament, has played some tenacious chess to stage a remarkable comeback in the six-player double round-robin tournament. He began with losses in his first two games, against world No.1 Carlsen and Erigaisi.

Just when Gukesh seemed to have hit a nice rhythm by beating Carlsen and Erigaisi in Round 6 and 7 respectively, the 19-year-old suffered a massive blow at the hands of Nakamura, who inflicted a morale-shattering blow to the Indian in Round 8 on Tuesday.

The rest day would have given Gukesh plenty of time to introspect and chart his next move, given that one more defeat in the tournament could make things virtually impossible for him.

Gukesh will take on China’s Wei Yi in Round 9, someone who has beaten him in the sudden-death Armageddon tie-break in Round 5. While Wei Yi hasn’t enjoyed great success so far in the tournament, he has thrown open the field by beating both Gukesh and Carlsen in Armageddon tie-breaks in the previous rounds.

Wei Yi’s eight points and sixth position on the table are not a true reflection of his grit and determination, as the Chinese is more than capable of throwing a spanner in the works of Gukesh a second consecutive time in the tournament.