Chess: Karthikeyan Murali becomes the third Indian to defeat Magnus Carlsen in classical format
India’s Karthikeyan Murali became just the third player from the country to defeat World number one Magnus Carlsen in classical chess.
The 24-year-old Indian managed to topple Carlsen while playing with black pieces in the seventh round of the ongoing Qatar Masters tournament.
Karthikeyan’s win occurred in the seventh round of the tournament, where he skillfully wielded the black pieces. With this significant triumph, he joined the ranks of other leading players such as SL Narayan, Javokhir Sindarov, David Paravyan, Arjun Erigaisi, and Nodirbek Yakubboev, all of whom held a remarkable score of 5.5 out of 7.
This two-time national champion hailing from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, displayed flawless gameplay and adeptly compensated for a draw against Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran in the tournament’s sixth round.
The third Indian to beat Magnus Carlsen
According to the ChessBase, Karthikeyan Murali has become the third Indian chess player to defeat Magnus Carlsen in a classical game. He joins Pentala Harikrishna, who defeated Carlsen in 2005 when Carlsen was 14 years old, and Viswanathan Anand, the only other Indian player to have defeated Carlsen.
The victory did not come easily for Murali. It took a grueling, six-hour battle of minds that showcased not only his deep understanding of the game but also his unwavering resolve. His composure under the immense pressure of facing the reigning world champion was truly admirable.
The Norwegian, who surrendered his world champion title this year after opting not to compete, has so far faced a total of six Indians in seven rounds at the Qatar Masters.
“This is the future for him,” said American GM and one of Carlsen’s fiercest rivals Hikaru Nakamura on a Chess 24 stream after the match. “The Indians are coming for him. It’s going to be one Indian after another, after another, after another, after another – all the disciples of Vishy.”
Leave a Reply