Praggnanandhaa Stuns Carlsen: Drama Unfolds at Norway Chess Tournament

Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa made headlines by defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen during a high-stakes classical game at the Norway Chess tournament's Round 3 on Wednesday. Praggnanandhaa showcased a measured approach against Carlsen, exerting pressure steadily and dominating stretches of the game. However, the match took a dramatic turn when Carlsen mounted a late fightback in severe time difficulty, but his advantage was short-lived as he committed a significant blunder, forcing the five-time world champion to resign and granting Praggnanandhaa one of the most significant wins of his career.

Following the match, Praggnanandhaa expressed his excitement on social media, writing, "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!" In a separate top-tier encounter, reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju faced the tournament leader Alireza Firouzja in a tense battle that culminated in a classical draw. Firouzja later succeeded in the Armageddon tie-break to secure extra points and retain his lead in the standings.

Elsewhere in the tournament, another key match between Vincent Keymer and Wesley So ended in a draw, but So triumphed in the Armageddon to earn the bonus point. Firouzja continues to lead the overall table after three rounds, underscoring his impressive form. In parallel, the Norway Chess Women tournament also saw all classical games concluding in draws, resolved through Armageddon tie-breakers. Standout matches included Anna Muzychuk defeating Humpy Koneru and Divya Deshmukh overcoming Bibisara Assaubayeva, with Zhu Jiner taking extra points against Ju Wenjun. Despite Assaubayeva's defeat, she remains atop the women's standings, as Zhu and Divya closed in with critical wins.

(With inputs from agencies.)