Stavanger (Norway), May 29 -- World Chess Champion GM Gukesh Dommaraju marked his 19th birthday with a vital victory against GM Hikaru Nakamura in the third round of the Norway Chess 2025 tournament here on Wednesday.
After a shaky start to the event with two narrow losses, Gukesh bounced back emphatically, showcasing improved time management and resilience under pressure.
The match, unfolding in the classical time control, featured the Giuoco Piano opening, where Gukesh surprised World No.2 Nakamura early with the aggressive queenside pawn thrust 13.b4!, disrupting Nakamura's setup. Attempting to counterattack on the kingside, Nakamura came close to salvaging a draw, but a critical misstep with 28...Rd8? gave Gukesh the upper hand.
Whe...