Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh and Other Chess Stars Turn Cowboys for a Day at Norway Chess Games 2025 (Watch Video)
This year's participants were the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one. Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly.
Mumbai, May 31: In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world's top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year's edition of Norway Chess Games. Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the "Chess Cowboy Challenge", a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Algard, just outside Stavanger. World Champion D Gukesh Wins Thriller Against Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi Loses to World Number One Magnus Carlsen in Norway Chess 2025.
This year's participants were the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one. Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly.
Chess Stars Dress Showdown at Norway Chess 2025
Magnus "The Lone GOAT" Carlsen
Caruana "The Sicilian Sniper"
Hikaru "The Blitz Bandit" Nakamura
Arjun "No Slip" Erigaisi
Wei "The Quiet Storm" Yi
Gukesh "The Chennai Sharpshooter" D
Vaishali "The Rising Rider" Rameshbabu
Anna "Ice Veins" Muzychuk
Humpy "The Hammer" Koneru
Lei "The Lockdown" Tingjie
Ju "No-Loss" Wenjun
Ella Carlsen (stepping in as an honorary cowgirl)
With nicknames as fierce as their over-the-board styles, the competitors were more than ready to tackle the cowboy gauntlet ahead. The Chess Cowboy Challenge took them through a series of wild tasks. They faced the Sheriff's memory test in a jail escape, sought enlightenment by solving the priest's riddle in the chapel, mined for gold, and tried their hand at axe throwing beside the church. India's Humpy Koneru Registers Victory In Norway Chess 2025, Anna Muzychuk Holds Lead After Round 3.
Air rifles, lasso tosses, cowboy quizzes at the pleasure house, and classic horseshoe throws added to the flavour of the day, with real horses roaming the scene for that authentic atmosphere. Each team, made up of one male and one female player, competed across all stations as they worked their way through the village.
Final Standings
1st Place: Magnus & Ella Carlsen -- crowned Chess Sheriffs.
2nd Place: Hikaru Nakamura & Anna Muzychuk.
3rd Place: Fabiano Caruana & Vaishali Rameshbabu.
4th Place: Gukesh D & Ju Wenjun.
5th Place: Wei Yi & Lei Tingjie.
6th Place: Arjun Erigaisi & Humpy Koneru.
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)