Carlsen turns it around and takes the lead

Magnus Carlsen showed why you can never count him out. He came into Saturday trailing Gukesh by four points, but across nine blitz games he scored an impressive 7.5 points to claim the outright lead. The day didn’t start in dominant fashion—he drew his first game against Anish Giri and split points with both Wesley So and Jan-Krzysztof Duda. That draw with Duda especially bothered him a bit, as he’d built up a promising position and missed a chance to extend his lead. Still, he remained unbeaten and used all his experience and composure to capitalize on his rivals’ mistakes.

For Gukesh, it was a day to forget. After an excellent rapid portion where he looked confident and in control, blitz was a harsh reality check. He managed just 1.5 points out of nine games and fell from first to third place. His comfortable four-point cushion evaporated, and now he finds himself in the role of chaser. But the tournament is far from over—he's only two points behind Carlsen, and with nine more blitz rounds to come on Sunday, he has every chance to regroup and fight back for the title.

Jan-Krzysztof Duda is in second place, just 1.5 points behind Carlsen. On Saturday he showed his resilience, defending key draws even in tense positions. He’s still very much in the race for first place. Wesley So, meanwhile, bounced back well after a disappointing rapid showing to deliver the second-best blitz score of the day, putting himself back in contention for a top finish.

Sunday promises real drama. The final nine rounds will decide who takes home the title and crucial Grand Chess Tour points. The gap at the top is close enough that one big day can change everything.

Honestly, I didn’t expect Magnus to come back into the fight for first place like this—and I’m glad I was wrong. That’s just Magnus—no matter how well you know him, he always finds a way to remind you why he’s so special.