Thu Jul 03 19:03:32 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh defeated Magnus Carlsen at the Grand Chess Tour SuperUnited Rapid 2025 in Zagreb, marking his fifth consecutive win in the tournament. This victory propelled Gukesh to the top spot. The win is especially notable as it came after Carlsen dismissed Gukesh as “one of the weaker players” in the competition. Gukesh’s strong performance, including wins against Abdusattorov and Caruana, contrasts with Carlsen’s assessment.

**News Article:**

**Gukesh Silences Critics, Dethrones Carlsen at Zagreb Grand Chess Tour**

ZAGREB, CROATIA – Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh has delivered a stunning blow to Magnus Carlsen’s ego, defeating the former world champion at the Grand Chess Tour SuperUnited Rapid 2025 in Zagreb. The victory in the sixth round propelled Gukesh to the top of the leaderboard, marking his fifth consecutive win in the tournament.

The triumph is made all the more remarkable given Carlsen’s pre-tournament assessment of Gukesh, labeling him as “one of the weaker players” in the competition. “Gukesh hasn’t done anything to indicate that he’s going to do well in such a tournament,” Carlsen said, adding he would approach playing Gukesh as if he were facing a weaker opponent.

Gukesh, however, has proven otherwise. After an initial loss to Duda, the Indian Grandmaster bounced back with wins against Alireza Firouzja and fellow countryman R Praggnanandhaa, and continued his winning streak with victories against Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Fabiano Caruana before his decisive win against Carlsen.

While Carlsen secured wins against Wesley So and draws against Ivan Saric and Duda, he couldn’t match Gukesh’s dominant performance.

The tournament continues, but Gukesh’s impressive run has already turned heads and firmly established him as a force to be reckoned with, silencing his critics and sending a clear message to the chess world. R Praggnanandhaa had a tough day in office with the loss against Gukesh costing him dearly.

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