Oslo, May 29:
R Praggnanandhaa signalled a return to his menacing best with a sensational victory over world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, outplaying the Norwegian great to claim three full points, while reigning world champion D. Gukesh continued his worrying slide with another disappointing result at the Norway Chess tournament.
Carlsen may not have looked invincible in this year’s edition, with rivals increasingly exposing rare chinks in his game. But defeating the seven-time champion on home soil remains one of the toughest feats in world chess.
Praggnanandhaa, carrying the confidence from his recent triumph at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest, held his nerve on Wednesday night against the five-time classical world champion in a tense time scramble to climb to second place with 4.5 points.
In a rare sight, Carlsen is languishing at the bottom of the six-player standings with just 1.5 points.
The victory also marked Praggnanandhaa’s second classical win over the Norwegian legend at Norway Chess, having stunned him memorably during the 2024 edition.
However, it was Firouzja who continued to light up the tournament with his red-hot form, defeating D. Gukesh in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw to collect 1.5 points and surge to 7.5 overall.