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Norway Chess: D Gukesh downs Praggnanandhaa to revive title hopes | Other Sports News

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A day after turning 20, D Gukesh rediscovered both his spark and his smile, defeating compatriot R Praggnanandhaa in a gripping classical battle to pocket three full points and reignite his campaign in Norway Chess here.


Reigning champion Magnus Carlsen’s woes deepened as he lost to American Grandmaster Wesley So, leaving the world No. 1 at the bottom of the six-player standings after five rounds.


The victory lifted So to second place on 8.5 points, behind tournament leader Alireza Firouzja, who maintained his grip on the top spot with 10 points and has so far dominated the field.


For Gukesh, now on 6.5 points and in sole third place, the victory seemed to breathe life back into the venue.

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Fans, who had packed the arena, flocked around the world champion for autographs, selfies and photographs, while Gukesh himself appeared far more relaxed after a difficult few days in which he had often slipped quietly out of the playing hall following disappointing results.


Praggnanandhaa, on six points, remained fourth, while German Grandmaster Vincent Keymer was fifth on five points. Carlsen, meanwhile, found himself in the unfamiliar position of last place with 4.5 points.


For Gukesh, another classical victory in Round 6 and a Firouzja loss could put him within striking distance of the lead.

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The all-Indian showdown was a roller-coaster, with momentum swinging repeatedly between the two players. Both enjoyed winning chances, but in the end it was Gukesh who held his nerve when it mattered most.


The game, arising from a Ragozin Defence, initially appeared to favour Praggnanandhaa despite the engines showing little separation.


Yet Gukesh remained unfazed, even making his first visit to the confessional booth and displaying little concern about his position.


A tense battle turned into a time scramble as both players raced through the critical phase around move 40 with only seconds to spare. Amid the mounting pressure, Praggnanandhaa’s made a costly blunder and handed Gukesh the opening he needed.

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The world champion pounced decisively, converting the opportunity into a swift checkmate attack.


Gukesh summed it up as “just a very complex game,” adding with a smile, “Luckily, the tricks kind of worked out for me.” 
“I felt a lot of pressure and was very tense from the start, but I’m lucky to have come through. I’m surely doing much, much better than I was a couple of months back. I feel much sharper. The results are improving, though they are still not where I want them to be. But I believe that if I continue playing good chess, success will come,” said Gukesh.


“When you’re happy, you feel good about yourself. You feel confident and sharp over the board, and you automatically trust yourself to make quick, good decisions. They may seem like minor things, but at the end of the day, they make a big difference,” added the world champion.


By toppling Carlsen, So kept the title race alive — another such win would make him the only player capable of drawing level with the leader.

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Divya Deshmukh emerges leader in women’s section 
After a day spent on a speedboat, young Indian women’s World Cup winner Divya Deshmukh brought the same pace to the board, outplaying China’s Zhu Jiner in a classical game to claim three points and surge to the top of the six-player standings for the first time on 8.5 points.


Divya appeared to be on the back foot after Zhu introduced a fresh idea in the opening, but the game soon veered into uncharted territory.


Trusting her instincts, the Indian repeatedly found resourceful moves to stay in the fight as the balance gradually shifted. Zhu failed to seize a key opportunity to force a draw, allowing Divya to seize the initiative.


With both players eventually scrambling on the 10-second increment, Divya’s relentless pressure paid off, culminating in a hard-earned 84-move victory that propelled her into sole lead.

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Results after Round 5: 
Open: Alireza Firouzja (FRA) 10 bt Vincent Keymer (GER, 5); Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 4.5) lost to Wesley So (USA, 8.5); R Praggnanandhaa (IND, 6) lost to D Gukesh (IND, 6.5).


Women: Zhu Jiner (CHN, 5) lost to Divya Deshmukh (IND, 8.5); Anna Muzychuk (UKR, 7) bt Bibisara Assaubeyeva (KAZ, 8); Ju Wenjun (CHN, 5) lost to Koneru Humpy (IND, 4.

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No previous French Open champions left – who will seize chance?

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With Iga Swiatek’s early French Open exit meaning new men’s and women’s champions will be crowned, BBC Sport analyses how the draws have been blown open.

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Soccer Aid duo turn up 25 minutes late for match after working for ITV’s rivals

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Jill Scott and Maisie Adam rocked up late to Soccer Aid after presenting the women’s FA Cup final elsewhere

Lioness legend Jill Scott and stand-up comedian Maisie Adam arrived nearly half an hour late to this year’s Soccer Aid at London Stadium. The duo are understood to have turned up a full 25 minutes after the 6.30pm kick-off time.

The reason for their lateness is thought to be down to both co-hosting Channel 4’s coverage of the Women’s FA Cup final between Manchester City and Brighton on the opposite side of the capital at Wembley Stadium.

Following the conclusion of their duties, Jill and 32-year-old Maisie had to dash to east London in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford – roughly 23 miles away. Yet they only made it midway through the opening half as cameras showed them taking their places on the bench for the England side.

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Soccer Aid, broadcast on ITV, is marking its 20th anniversary this year. The yearly charity football encounter continues its quest to generate crucial funds for international children’s charity UNICEF, while uniting a distinctive blend of world-class football icons and cherished celebrities.

Manchester United icon Wayne Rooney captained the England squad, which was overseen by co-founder Robbie Williams and managed by Harry Redknapp.

Additional well-known figures from the footballing world featured former men’s England players Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Joe Hart.

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Actors Danny Dyer, Tom Hiddleston and Adolescence star Owen Cooper also took part. TV personalities Paddy McGuinness, Jack Whitehall and Sam Thompson also had some cameos, alongside former England rugby player Joe Marler.

Radio presenter Jordan North, podcaster and presenter GK Barry, Love Island star Chloe Burrows and I’m A Celeb winner and YouTube sensation Angry Ginge rounded off England’s squad.

The latter put in a great performance at the back, which included several last-ditch blocks and clearances, to help England win 3-2 and also claim back-to-back player of the match awards.

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On the World XI side, Olympic sprinting legend Usain Bolt took charge as manager. His side featured Edwin van der Sar, Michael Essien, Jordi Alba, Leonardo Bonucci, Dimitar Berbatov, Nemanja Matic, Nabhaan Rizwan, Nitro, Ali Krieger, Jen Beattie, Nicky Byrne, Dermot Kennedy, Chris O’Dowd, Richard Gadd, and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

The World XI initially went three goals behind courtesy of a quickfire brace by Jermain Defoe and great strike from actor Damson Idris.

Essien pulled one back before Tim Cahill added a second late on. England XI were able to see out the game to claim victory with Angry Ginge and Rooney collectively lifting the trophy.

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi creates IPL history, becomes first player to win… | Cricket News

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Vaibhav Sooryavanshi creates IPL history, becomes first player to win...

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s remarkable IPL 2026 campaign ended with yet another record as the Rajasthan Royals teenager became the first player in tournament history to win five major individual awards in a single season.Although Rajasthan Royals fell short of reaching the final, Sooryavanshi was the undisputed star of the tournament. The 15-year-old swept the awards night, collecting the Emerging Player of the Season, Super Striker of the Season, Super Sixes of the Season, Orange Cap and Most Valuable Player awards.It was a fitting reward for a campaign that completely redefined what was thought possible in the IPL.Sooryavanshi finished the season as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 776 runs at a staggering strike rate of 237.30. He also smashed a record-breaking 72 sixes, comfortably surpassing Chris Gayle’s long-standing record of 59 sixes in a single IPL season.The teenager’s dominance was reflected in every major batting category. He won the Orange Cap for finishing as the highest run-getter, claimed the Super Striker award for his extraordinary scoring rate of 237.30, and secured the Super Sixes award after clearing the ropes 72 times during the campaign.His impact went far beyond those headline numbers. Sooryavanshi became the first uncapped batter in IPL history to score two centuries and broke Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record for the most runs by an uncapped player in a season by a massive margin.Among his standout performances was a breathtaking 16-ball half-century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Eliminator, equalling the fastest fifty ever scored in an IPL playoff match. Earlier in the season, he blasted a 36-ball hundred against the same opposition, the third-fastest century in IPL history. Remarkably, he also owns the second-fastest IPL century.The youngster continued to rewrite the record books in Qualifier 2, where he became both the youngest batter and the fastest by balls faced to reach 1,000 IPL runs. He reached the landmark in just 440 deliveries, eclipsing Andre Russell’s previous record by 105 balls.The powerplay proved to be Sooryavanshi’s favourite hunting ground. Of his 776 runs, an astonishing 521 came in the first six overs, the highest tally recorded by any batter in that phase during an IPL season.His six-hitting numbers were perhaps even more extraordinary. Chris Gayle’s iconic 59-sixes season in 2012 came from 456 balls, a six every 7.7 deliveries. Sooryavanshi, by comparison, launched 72 sixes from only 327 balls faced, clearing the boundary once every 4.5 deliveries.While Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the trophy after defeating Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final, the individual awards night belonged entirely to Sooryavanshi. At just 15 years of age, he produced one of the greatest batting seasons the IPL has ever witnessed and became the first player to walk away with five major awards in a single edition of the tournament.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s IPL 2026 Awards

Award Achievement
Orange Cap 776 runs
Most Valuable Player Tournament MVP
Emerging Player of the Season Winner
Super Striker of the Season Strike rate of 237.30
Super Sixes of the Season 72 sixes

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5 Reasons why Triple H didn’t put the Undisputed WWE Title on Gunther at Clash in Italy 2026

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At WWE Clash in Italy 2026, Gunther failed to become the new Undisputed WWE Champion. The Ring General locked horns with Cody Rhodes in the kickoff match. Despite having huge momentum, the former Imperium Leader got pinned by the Prodigal Son.

In the post-match, the former World Heavyweight Champion was visibly frustrated as Rhodes celebrated his victory. Many fans online are unhappy with Cody retaining the gold.

Gunther has been booked as an unstoppable force in the Stamford-based promotion. He retired Goldberg, John Cena & AJ Styles and emerged as the Career Ki**er.

Additionally, the 38-year-old star has had an undefeated streak in singles matches since last year’s SummerSlam PLE. However, Cody Rhodes’ defeating him has ended this impressive streak.

This article will look at five reasons why Triple H didn’t put the Undisputed WWE title on Gunther at Clash in Italy 2026.


#5. To set the stage for a rematch

After WrestleMania 42, the Triple H creative regime is seemingly more focused on booking rematches. This is evident from Rhea Ripley vs. Jade Cargill rematch getting booked at the recent international show.

Also, Roman vs. Jacob was a rematch at Clash in Italy. Gunther losing the match could lead to another match between them. The chances are higher, especially after the Ring General was frustrated in the post-match.

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Gunther might demand a rematch from the American Nightmare or destroy him in the aftermath episode of RAW or SmackDown. So, setting the stage for a second match could be the reason why he lost at Clash in Italy.

As of now, Night of Champions 2026 is the ideal location for their potential rematch.


#4. WWE is giving Cody Rhodes another monster push

The guy who retired Goldberg, retired AJ Styles, and retired John Cena by making him tap out for the first time in 20 years just lost to Cody Rhodes. One of the worst booking decisions of the year. #WWEClash

Cody Rhodes defeated John Cena to become the Undisputed Champion. Later, Drew McIntyre dethroned him and took the title, only to drop it before WrestleMania 42 to the Prodigal Son.

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At WrestleMania this year, Randy Orton competed in an Undisputed title match against Cody Rhodes, but the American Nightmare retained the Championship. His victory over an unstoppable Gunther proves that WWE is giving a monster push to the former AEW star.

This could be a probable explanation why Triple H didn’t put the title on the Ring General at the international Premium Live event.


#3. The unfinished business of Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton

After the Viper lost to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, he launched a post-match assault. Following this, the Legend Ki**er went on hiatus from the company and has been notably absent.

So, it’s clear that Cody and Orton still have unfinished business to settle in the squared circle. This could be why Gunther failed to emerge as the new Champion at Clash in Italy 2026.

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If Gunther had won the title from Cody, the American Nightmare feud with Orton would not have had the Championship element. Considering this, WWE decided not to crown Gunther as the new title holder at Clash in Italy.


#2. It was a botched ending

That had to be a botch because if it wasn’t, possibly the worst booking move I’ve seen in the TKO era yet. I don’t understand how they can’t just commit to Gunther, you let him retire Cena and do nothing with it. Please get the title off cody asap #WWEClash

Many fans online believe that the Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther Undisputed WWE title match was ended in a botch. In the closing moment, the Ring General almost put her legs on the ropes, but in an awkward situation, the referee counted to three.

Gunther appears to be genuinely surprised by the ending of the match and kept shouting on the official ringside. There might be a chance that the Clash in Italy match ended in a botch, which contributes to the Ring General’s failure to become the Champion.

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#1. WWE may want to crown Gunther as Champion in the rematch

The post-match reaction of Gunther subtly confirms that WWE is planning for a second match between the Ring General and the American Nightmare. If this rematch happens, there is a chance that the former Imperium Leader might dethrone the Prodigal Son in this rematch and emerge as the new Champion.

Crowning Gunther as the next potential Undisputed WWE Champion could be the motive for his loss at the international Premium Live event. Triple H may want the Ring General to become Champion, probably at Night of Champions 2026.

If this happens, then it will not only be a title victory for the 38-year-old star but also a revenge for the loss at the Clash in Italy Premium Live event.