Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa joins a pretty exclusive list of players after his latest win over the legendary Magnus Carlsen in the eighth round of Norway Chess on Wednesday, June 3.
After taking down Carlsen with white in the third round back on May 27, the 20-year-old from Chennai completed the stunning double by repeating the feat with the black pieces. It must be noted that Praggnanandhaa had also beaten Carlsen in the same tournament back in the 2024 edition as well.
This is reportedly the first time in the last 19 years of classical chess, that a player has managed to get the better of the Norwegian great twice in the same tournament. The last person to do so was none other than the Indian legend himself, Vishwanathan Anand. He beat Carlsen twice at the Linares International Chess Tournament back in 2007.
Despite the magnitude of the victory, the youngster is refusing to buy into the surrounding hysteria. Instead, his focus remains entirely on the bigger picture of the tournament.
"More than beating Magnus, I think winning a game in this tournament is more important at this stage. So I'm happy that I managed to do that," Praggnanandhaa told ChessBase India after the match.
When speaking about Carlsen, the Indian prodigy noted that despite coming out on top, the Norwegian was never far off. He acknowledged the legend's immense defensive skill, admitting that Carlsen kept finding the right moves even under intense pressure.
"No, he was actually playing really well and defending extremely well. I think many other players would start making small positional mistakes here and there, but he kept finding all the right moves," Pragg said. "At one stage, I genuinely thought the game was just going to be a draw. It was surprising that he blundered the way he did because he had defended so well up to that point."
Looking ahead to the remainder of the event, the Chennai grandmaster expressed confidence in his current form but highlighted one specific area for improvement:
"In general, I feel like I'm playing well. The only thing is that the time scrambles haven't really gone my way. So I'll just try to keep more time on the clock and continue playing the way I've been playing over the last few games. I'll try to rest tomorrow and then come back in fighting mode for the final rounds."
Following a well-deserved rest day, Praggnanandhaa will return to action for the final two rounds of the tournament. His next challenge is a marquee clash against reigning World Champion D Gukesh, who has struggled to find his best form this week. In the final round, the Indian prodigy will face Germany's Vincent Keymer.
Praggnanandhaa currently sits third in the standings with 12 points, hot on the heels of tournament leader Wesley So (14 points) and second-placed Alireza Firouzja (13 points). With maximum points up for grabs in these final two encounters, the 20-year-old will be looking to push for victories to secure a potential tournament triumph or, at the very least, a podium finish.
Source: India Today