Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Defeats World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess Tournament

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa achieved a remarkable victory by defeating the current world number one Magnus Carlsen in the Classical format at the prestigious Norway Chess Tournament.

Having squared off a few times online and in faster-paced games, Praggnanandhaa finally emerged victorious over the home favorite in a clear Classical triumph.

After his resounding win in the third round, the 18-year-old prodigy leads the men’s section with 5.5 points, edging out USA’s Fabiano Caruana, who secured his first Classical win against the reigning world champion Ding Liren.

Magnus Carlsen, with three points, currently holds the third position in the standings, trailing behind Praggnanandhaa and Caruana.

Hikaru Nakamura, Firouzja Alireza, and Ding Liren are currently tied for the fourth spot with 2.5 points each in the double round-robin tournament.

In a post-match comment, Nakamura expressed his surprise at Carlsen’s risky gameplay against Praggnanandhaa.

Praggnanandhaa’s elder sister, R Vaishali, continues to dominate the women’s event, maintaining her lead after a draw in the Classical game against Anna Muzychuk.

Vaishali has now moved up to 5.5 points, enjoying a one-point lead over the women’s world champion Wenjun Ju of China, who is currently in second place.

Anna Muzychuk, Pia Cramling, and Koneru Humpy share the fourth position in the women’s section, each with three points.

The game against Carlsen featured the Sicilian Kann opening, a less common choice in elite chess circles, where Praggnanandhaa managed to gain an advantage with superior space control from the onset.

Throughout the middle game, Carlsen’s king remained vulnerable in the center, allowing Praggnanandhaa to capitalize on this weakness with strategic maneuvers after clearing the minor pieces.

With threatening checkmate possibilities looming, the Indian Grandmaster forced Carlsen to concede after just 37 moves.

Caruana’s victory over Liren showcased a strategic onslaught from an Italian opening game, where the American sacrificed minor pieces to dismantle the opponent’s king side and secure the win.

In another match, Nakamura emerged victorious against Alireza in the USD 160,000 prize money event.

Vaishali’s successful draw in Armageddon against Muzychuk kept her lead intact in the women’s section, setting the stage for an exciting remainder of the tournament with seven rounds still to go in both categories.