Alireza Firouzja Wins Against Magnus Carlsen

Alireza Firouzja handed Magnus Carlsen a Round 1 defeat at the Norway Chess tournament.

What happened?

The 22-year-old Iranian-French Grandmaster played with an injured ankle, yet managed to beat Carlsen.

He found his first classical victory over the world No. 1.

This win is significant for Firouzja, who only days ago withdrew from the Grand Chess Tour Romania due to his injury.

Firouzja's victory came after he played two rounds from his hotel bed.

Other Gen Z stars, including Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, also won their first-round encounters.

Gukesh paced outside the playing area, preparing for his Armageddon match.

The spectators' area was thinning out by then, five hours into the day's play.

Armageddon is a brutal and beautiful way to decide games, with White having 10 minutes and Black having seven minutes.

Carlsen had an escape route, but with only about two and a half minutes left, it was hard to spot.

The five-time world champion said of his opponent, 'He gave me a lot of tests and in the end, I failed.'

Firouzja's win is a notable upset, given Carlsen's uninterrupted run at the top since 2011.

Carlsen quickly dismissed the idea of challenging Garry Kasparov's twenty-one-year record at the top.

He prefers faster formats and hopes to maintain his current level in classical chess.

The Norway Chess tournament continues, with Firouzja and other Gen Z stars looking to make their mark.