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Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa scripts history, defeats World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen
Pragg becomes the fourth Indian to defeat Carlsen in classical chess.
Pragg defeats World No.1 Carlsen in classical chess, Norway Chess tournament / Image - X/ NorwayChess, StevBonhage
In a landmark achievement, 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa secured his first-ever classical win over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Norway Chess tournament. The victory at Carlsen's home turf propelled Praggnanandhaa to the sole lead in the prestigious six-player open section.
With white pieces, Praggnanandhaa, who finished second at last year's FIDE World Cup, showed poise and strategic brilliance to defeat the defending champion. Despite playing under a lot of time pressure, Pragg kept his cool and took advantage of Carlsen's mistakes to win by a narrow margin.
Indian teenage chess sensation
— India in Norway (@IndiainNorway) May 30, 2024
R Praggnanandhaa achieved a landmark victory by defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen for the first time at the Norway Chess 2024 tournament. This win in round three propelled the 18-year-old to the sole lead in the six-player tournament. pic.twitter.com/sL6ywRs5Rx
After losing to Carlsen in last year's World Cup final, this triumph is a major turning point for the rising star. With this win, he joins an elite group of Indian players who have defeated Carlsen in classical chess, becoming only the fourth to do so.
The young Grandmaster's triumph elevated his score to 5.5 out of 9 points at the end of the third round, placing him ahead in the standings. American Grandmaster Fabio Caruana moved to the second spot after securing three points with a win over GM Ding Liren.
Carlsen's bold opening strategy backfired, resulting in his slip to fifth in the standings. GM Hikaru Nakamura, meanwhile, defeated GM Alireza Firouzja in Armageddon to hold onto third place. Ding Liren, set to face GM D Gukesh for the World Championship later this year, is currently at the bottom of the table with 2.5 points.
In a related development, Praggnanandhaa's sister, R Vaishali, retained her sole lead position in the women's section of Norway Chess. Vaishali held GM Anna Muzychuk to a draw with black pieces, following a notable victory over compatriot Koneru Humpy the previous day.
In other notable matches, Indian player Vaishali R claimed her first classical win against Koneru Humpy, becoming India’s number two female player in the live ratings.#NorwayChess #RPraggnanandhaa #Vaishalirameshbabu pic.twitter.com/rAxOv5nb53
— India in Norway (@IndiainNorway) May 30, 2024
The Norway Chess tournament, running from May 27 to June 7, features a prize fund of USD 160,000, shared between the Open and Women's sections, with six players competing twice in classical chess.
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