18-year-old Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa achieved his first classical win against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Norway Chess tournament on Wednesday, May 29, in Stavanger. R Praggnanandhaa’s victory gave the Indian Grandmaster the sole lead in the prestigious six-player tournament.
Competing with the white pieces, last year’s FIDE World Cup runner-up defied the odds to defeat Carlsen on his home ground.
R Praggnanandhaa Wins at Norway Chess
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured his first classical game victory over world number one Magnus Carlsen, leading the Norway Chess tournament. The 18-year-old, who has previously defeated Carlsen in rapid and exhibition matches, now tops the leaderboard with 5.5 points after three rounds.
Playing with the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa’s win moved Carlsen to fifth place in the standings. Classical chess, also called slow chess, gives players ample time to make their moves, typically at least one hour.
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R Praggnanandhaa Shines in Norway Chess Tournament
R Praggnanandhaa scored 5.5 out of 9 points by the end of the third round in the Norway Chess tournament. American Grandmaster Fabio Caruana moved into second place after earning three points with his win over GM Ding Liren on Wednesday.
Interestingly, Praggnanandhaa’s sister, R Vaishali, held onto her lead in the women’s section of the Norway Chess tournament.
Magnus Carlsen tried a risky opening move against Praggnanandhaa, which didn’t work out well for him. He dropped to fifth place in the six-player standings. Praggnanandhaa stayed calm and focused, even though he was running low on time. He managed to beat Carlsen with the white pieces, earning three important points.
This win was a big boost for Praggnanandhaa, especially since he had lost to Carlsen in the World Cup last year. This victory made Praggnanandhaa only the fourth Indian to beat Carlsen in classical chess.
In another match, GM Hikaru Nakamura defeated GM Alireza Firouzja in an Armageddon game, keeping his third place on the leaderboard. Ding Liren, who will compete against GM D Gukesh for the World Championship title later this year, was in the last place with only 2.5 points out of 9 after three rounds.
R Vaishali Leads in Women’s Section at Norway Chess Tournament
Norway Chess offers a prize fund of USD 160,000, split between the Open and Women’s sections. From May 27 to June 7, six players will compete in classical chess matches, facing each other twice.
In a standout performance, Vaishali defeated fellow Indian player Koneru Humpy to take the lead on Tuesday. She then secured a draw against GM Anna Muzychuk with the black pieces on Wednesday, maintaining her top position after three rounds in the women’s section.
Standings in Norway Chess After Three Rounds
Here are the current standings in the Norway Chess tournament after three rounds:
| Norway Chess Standings After Three Rounds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Points |
| 1 | R Praggnanandhaa | 5.5 |
| 2 | Fabio Caruana | 5 |
| 3 | Hikaru Nakamura | 4 |
| 4 | Alireza Firouzja | 3.5 |
| 5 | Magnus Carlsen | 3 |
| 6 | Ding Liren | 2.5 |
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R Praggnanandhaa Wins at Norway Chess FAQs
Q.1. Who won the third round of the Norway Chess tournament?
Ans. R Praggnanandhaa secured his first classical win against Magnus Carlsen, leading with 5.5 points.
Q.2. How did R Praggnanandhaa defeat Magnus Carlsen?
Ans. Praggnanandhaa played with the white pieces and capitalized on Carlsen’s risky opening move, securing the win.
Q.3. What are the current standings in the Norway Chess tournament?
Ans. R Praggnanandhaa leads with 5.5 points, followed by Fabio Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura.
Q.4. Who leads in the women’s section of the tournament?
Ans. R Vaishali maintains her lead after securing wins and draws in the women’s section.
Q.5. What is the prize fund for the Norway Chess tournament?
Ans. The tournament offers a prize fund of USD 160,000 split between the Open and Women’s sections.
