Just days after Magnus Carlsen labeled him "one of the presumably weaker players," India's D. Gukesh gave a resounding reply-on the chessboard. The 18-year-old defeated the world No. 1 with the Black pieces in round six of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia, part of the Grand Chess Tour, on Thursday. It was his second straight win over Carlsen and took him to the top of the standings as the sole leader with 10 points from six games.
There was no angry smash on the table this time. But once again, Carlsen was forced to resign against the reigning world champion. Their previous clash, at Norway Chess last month, had ended with Carlsen visibly rattled after a rare classical defeat. This time in Zagreb, it was a rapid game-but the result was the same. Gukesh, calm and clinical, got the better of the Norwegian once more.
Earlier in the week, Carlsen had made a pointed remark when discussing the field in Croatia, referring to Gukesh as one of the "presumably weaker players". It was a comment that raised eyebrows, especially given their recent history.
When they finally sat down across the board for their rematch, Gukesh arrived first, took a few quiet moments to himself, and waited. Carlsen opened with the English and seemed to have the upper hand after 18...Nh5 19.Bf2!. But Gukesh, unfazed, seized the initiative with a sharp 26...d5. Carlsen began to slip, and as his position worsened and his clock ticked under a minute, the pressure told. He resigned after 49 moves.
It was a controlled, assured performance from Gukesh-a reminder that he's no longer the outsider. He's playing as an equal among the game's biggest names.
"Now we can question Magnus' domination," said Garry Kasparov on commentary. "This isn't just another loss. It's a convincing one. Gukesh didn't just capitalise on mistakes-he played better."
The result capped a remarkable day for the teenager. He had started with a loss to Jan-Krzysztof Duda but bounced back strongly, beating Alireza Firouzja and fellow Indian R Praggnanandhaa before taking down Carlsen. Three wins on the trot to end the day.
"I wasn't too disheartened after the first-round loss," Gukesh said. "Duda got a good position and played well."
Carlsen's day was more uneven. He won a long-drawn encounter against Wesley So but had to settle for draws against Ivan aric and Duda. He now trails Gukesh by four points heading into the final day of the rapid section. In the Grand Chess Tour format, rapid wins are worth two points, while the blitz games, which follow next, offer one point per win.
Wesley So was the only other player besides Gukesh involved in all decisive games on the day. He beat compatriot Fabiano Caruana and Dutch GM Anish Giri.
Gukesh, meanwhile, finishes the rapid section's second day on 10 points out of a possible 12. With momentum on his side, the teenager is firmly in control-and showing no signs of slowing down.
