R Praggnanandhaa makes history, defeats Magnus Carlsen in classical chess

In a groundbreaking achievement, Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa made history by defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen in a classical game format. The match, occurring during the third round of the tournament, marked Praggnanandhaa's inaugural classical victory against Carlsen. Demonstrating his prowess at just 18 years old, Praggnanandhaa outplayed Carlsen on his home turf, propelling himself to the top of the open section standings of the six-player tournament.

Praggnanandhaa, who clinched the runner-up spot in the previous year's FIDE Chess World Cup, utilized the white pieces to execute a series of strategic moves securing the win. Following this decisive round, Praggnanandhaa surged ahead with a score of 5.5 out of nine points, while Carlsen slipped to fifth position in the tournament standings.

Before this milestone, Praggnanandhaa had secured victories over Carlsen in rapid and blitz chess formats. The Norway Chess tournament's second round witnessed all classical games ending in draws. However, Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, and Ding Liren emerged victorious in their respective Armageddon games, each earning 1.5 points.

Praggnanandhaa, who had previously led 2-0 against World Champion Ding Liren, reached his first classical draw in this round before Ding Liren clinched victory in the Armageddon tie-breaker. Meanwhile, Carlsen showcased his prowess in high-pressure scenarios by winning the Armageddon game following a closely contested classical match against Hikaru Nakamura, securing a lead in the tournament.

In the Norway Chess Women's Tournament, Vaishali R achieved a significant milestone by defeating Koneru Humpy, her first classical win against India's top female player. This victory propelled Vaishali to the second position among Indian women players in the live rating list. Other matches in the women's tournament included draws between Lei Tingjie and Pia Cramling, and Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk, with the Chinese players emerging victorious in their Armageddon games.

The Norway Chess 2024 tournament, held from May 27 to June 7 at SpareBank 1 SR-Bank, featured both the traditional Norway Chess tournament and the newly introduced Norway Chess Women tournament. Both tournaments followed a 6-player double round-robin format and offered equal prize funds.