 "Gukesh poses with women's world champion Ju Wenjun. Image: Insta/NorwayChess")
The players at Norway Chess 2025 took a break from their intense matches and went to Westernbyen, a cowboy-style ranch in Algard, for some fun on Friday. Players were seen enjoying activities like axe throwing, shooting, and even throwing a rope (lasso) around a wooden bull as they were given a rest day after four fierce rounds of the competition.
Five-time world champion and local hero Magnus Carlsen teamed up with his wife Ella for the activities, while current world champion D Gukesh collaborated with women’s world champion Ju Wenjun. According to The Indian Express, all the participants were present except for Sara Khadem, who missed out because she wasn’t feeling well.
Norway Chess took to its official social media handles to share videos of the fun day. In one of the videos, Gukesh could be seen dressed up in a cowboy costume and posing with Ju Wenjun. Another video showed American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura practising to throw an axe.
In one of the most viral moments from the rest day, Carlsen was seen posing with a real goat, adding a playful twist to his ‘GOAT’ status in chess.
Norway Chess 2025 so far
Norway Chess 2025 has already given fans a lot of exciting moments. Gukesh had a tough start with two losses, but he bounced back strong. He beat Nakamura just before his 19th birthday and then defeated Fabiano Caruana in the Armageddon playoff, moving up to joint-fourth place.
On the other hand, Arjun Erigaisi, who had started the tournament well, is now struggling after back-to-back defeats against Caruana and Carlsen. Carlsen, who had a couple of losses earlier, got back to form by beating Arjun and is now at the top of the table with 8 points.
Caruana is second with 7 points, while Nakamura is third with 5.5 points. Gukesh and Erigaisi are placed joint-fourth with 4.5 points each. Wei Yi is at the bottom of the standings with 4 points.
In the women’s section, Koneru Humpy and Anna Muzychuk are at the top with 7 points each. Ju Wenjun is ranked third with 5.5 points and Sara Khadem is placed fourth with 5 points. Lei Tingjie is in the fifth place with 4 points, while Vaishali stayed at the bottom with 3.5 points despite her Armageddon win against Humpy.