NewzVille Desk
Indian Grandmaster, R Praggnanandhaa, defeated world No. 1, Magnus Carlsen again at the Norway Chess tournament in Oslo, boosting his bid to become the first Indian to clinch the prestigious event.
In a remarkable achievement, Praggnanandhaa became the only player to beat Carlsen twice in classical games this year, underlining his growing stature.
With two rounds still to play, the win pushed the 20-year-old up to third place on 12 points, with French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in second place on 13 points and American Grandmaster Wesley So still leading on 14 points.
Carlsen’s poor run of form continued, leaving his bid for an 8th Norway Chess title all but over. The five-time world champion sits on just 9 points, and even two classical wins is unlikely to be enough to pull him back into contention.
Meanwhile, World champion D. Gukesh’s title hopes ended after another heavy defeat against French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the 8th round, leaving him bottom of the table on 8 points and still unable to halt a worrying run of form since his 2024 world title triumph.
