Praggnanandhaa stuns Carlsen in classical thriller at Norway Chess Round 3
Oslo, May 28
Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa defeated world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a dramatic classical game to headline Round 3 of the Norway Chess tournament on Wednesday.
Praggnanandhaa produced a composed performance against the Norwegian star, gradually building pressure and appearing in control for long stretches of the game. However, the contest swung sharply during severe time trouble as Carlsen fought back and briefly seized the advantage, as per ESPN.
The momentum shifted once again moments later when Carlsen committed a decisive blunder, prompting the five-time world champion to resign immediately and hand Praggnanandhaa one of the biggest wins of his career.
Following the victory, Praggnanandhaa shared his thoughts on X.
"Happy to have played out a crazy fighting game against Magnus. Fortunate to have come out on top. Looking forward to play more fighting games!" Praggnanandhaa wrote.
In another major clash, reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju battled tournament leader Alireza Firouzja in a tense encounter that ended in a hard-fought classical draw. Firouzja later prevailed in the Armageddon tie-break to earn the additional points and maintain his strong run at the top of the standings.
The third classical game of the round between Vincent Keymer and Wesley So also ended in a draw. So then defeated Keymer in Armageddon to secure the bonus point.
After three rounds, Firouzja continues to lead the standings following another successful outing in Stavanger.
In the Norway Chess Women, all three classical games ended in draws before being decided through Armageddon tie-breaks.
Women's world champion Ju Wenjun and Zhu Jiner played out a tense draw after Zhu missed a promising winning advantage. Zhu bounced back to win the Armageddon game and collect the extra points.
Anna Muzychuk defeated Humpy Koneru in Armageddon after their classical contest ended level, while Divya Deshmukh overcame tournament leader Bibisara Assaubayeva in Armageddon following another drawn classical game.
Despite the defeat, Assaubayeva retained her lead in the women's standings, though Divya and Zhu narrowed the gap with crucial victories.
— ANI
Reader Comments
What a rollercoaster of a game! The way Pragg controlled it initially and then survived Carlsen's counterattack shows his maturity. That blunder from Magnus was unexpected, but you have to credit Pragg for keeping his nerve. India's chess renaissance continues!
Great win for Praggnanandhaa! But I'm slightly worried about Gukesh's form. He's been drawing a lot lately and losing in Armageddon. Hope he finds his rhythm soon. Firouzja is looking dangerous though!
As a chess fan from the US, I've been following Pragg's rise. He's got that fearless Indian attitude that reminds me of Anand. This win over Carlsen is a statement—India is truly the new powerhouse of chess. Well played!
So proud of our Indian chess players! Pragg's win is huge, and Divya Deshmukh's Armageddon victory is also fantastic. The women's section is heating up too! 🇮🇳💪
While I'm thrilled for Pragg, I feel the Armageddon format is a bit unfair. Classical draws should be respected more. That said, the bonus points make for exciting tournaments. Hats off to Pragg for the classical win—that's pure chess!
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