Doha: In the Qatar Masters Open, world number one champion Magnus Carlsen faced a significant setback as he was defeated by Bharat’s Karthikeyan Murali during the crucial seventh round at Lusail Multipurpose Hall.
Karthikeyan Murali’s triumph marks him as the third Indian to defeat Carlsen in classical chess. The 24-year-old Grandmaster, hailing from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, showcased exceptional skills in the historic win. This marks the first time since Viswanathan Anand that a player from Bharat has secured a victory against Magnus Carlsen in classical chess.
Following the seventh round, Karthikeyan, along with Bharat’s SL Narayanan and Arjun Erigaisi, emerged as the leading Indians, all accumulating 5.5 points. The competition’s sixth round concluded with Narayanan and Erigaisi maintaining their lead, joined by David Paravyan, Javokhir Sindarov from Uzbekistan, and Nodirbek Yakubboev in a shared top position. Top Grandmasters, including Carlsen, America’s Hikaru Nakamura, and Bharat’s leading player Dommaraju Gukesh, scored 4.5 points each.
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