Wesley So toppled Magnus Carlsen in round five of Norway Chess, claiming a significant classical victory with the black pieces. So sits in second place now, trailing only Alireza Firouzja after the Iranian drew his classical against Vincent Keymer before converting the Armageddon.
Gukesh Dommaraju seized his first classical win of the tournament, dismantling Praggnanandhaa in convincing fashion. The Indian youngster's breakthrough pushed him into third place overall, marking real progress after a sluggish start.
Firouzja maintains his sole lead despite not winning the main game. His ability to grind out Armageddon victories, combined with solid classical results, has given him clear daylight over the field. So's win represents a threat to that advantage. The pace is accelerating. Late rounds usually separate pretenders from contenders, and both So and Gukesh have shown they belong in this elite company. Carlsen's loss snaps his run of form. The world champion will need to recalibrate fast if he wants to mount a serious challenge for first place.