Last Updated:
R Praggnanandhaa defeated Magnus Carlsen for the second time at Norway Chess, pushing the world No. 1 to the bottom of the standings in Oslo.
Pragg sank Carlsen at Norway Chess 2026 (X/ChessbaseIndia)
Magnus Carlsen has won seven of the previous 13 editions of Norway Chess and has long treated the event on home soil like his personal playground.
But this year’s edition is beginning to look very different.
The five-time world champion has now lost two of his opening three classical games — something that last happened in 2020 — and suddenly finds himself walking an unfamiliar tightrope near the bottom of the standings.
And the man responsible for the latest twist? R Praggnanandhaa.
The 20-year-old Indian prodigy delivered another statement victory over Carlsen on Wednesday, defeating the Norwegian in a tense 62-move battle in Oslo. It marked Praggnanandhaa’s second classical-format victory over Carlsen at Norway Chess after his breakthrough win in the 2024 edition.
Carlsen, visibly frustrated for much of the contest, eventually resigned after being outplayed in a chaotic endgame that swung repeatedly under time pressure.
The defeat sent shockwaves through the standings.
Praggnanandhaa climbed to second place in the tournament table, while Carlsen shockingly dropped to the bottom.
What made the result even more impressive was the context. Pragg entered the round sitting last with just one point and desperately needing momentum. Instead of playing cautiously against the world No. 1, he came out aggressively and forced Carlsen into uncomfortable positions throughout the game.
Still, the Indian star was far from fully satisfied with his performance.
“Yeah, I think (this) win is really crucial for the tournament to try and get back my standings,” Praggnanandhaa said after the game, in an interview with Times Now.
“But, I mean, overall as a game, I am not really satisfied. But, okay, it’s just a street fight. So, anything can happen. And these time scrambles, yeah, I lost control. But, yeah, it was a really interesting game.”
While Praggnanandhaa tried to downplay the significance of the win in the mixed zone — calling it “honestly not that big a win” — his coach celebrated with fist pumps while heading through the arena escalators.
Next up, Praggnanandhaa faces Vincent Keymer in Round 4, while Carlsen takes on reigning world champion D Gukesh in another blockbuster clash.
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
