Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa etched his name in the history books as he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title with a final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer here, capping off a brilliant campaign in style.
Praggnanandhaa, who began the final round in second place with 15 points on Friday, delivered when it mattered the most, securing a classical win worth three full points to finish on 18 points and clinch one of the most coveted trophies in elite chess.
In doing so, the 20-year-old Chennai player achieved a feat that had eluded even Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand and reigning world champion D Gukesh among others, since the tournament’s inception in 2013.
Competing in Norway Chess for only the second time, Praggnanandhaa endured a slow start in the elite six-player field before gathering momentum in the second half of the event to secure four wins on the trot. His campaign was highlighted by a remarkable achievement: defeating seven-time Norway Chess champion and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice in classical chess, a rare accomplishment that underlined his determination to bounce back from the disappointment of an underwhelming Candidates Tournament in Paphos earlier this year.
As reigning world champion, Gukesh fell out of contention in the closing stages, but Praggnanandhaa ensured that India’s challenge remained alive, ultimately carrying it all the way to the title. The result was made possible after American Grandmaster Wesley So, who led the standings with 15.5 points heading into the final round, was held to a draw in his classical game against Alireza Firouzja, sending their contest into an Armageddon tie-break.
That outcome opened the door for Praggnanandhaa, who knew that a classical victory over Keymer would propel him to the top of the standings and secure a landmark title. Although Wesley So went on to win the Armageddon tie-break, the victory was worth only 1.5 points, taking his tally to 17 points, one short of Praggnanandhaa's winning total of 18.
Alireza, who had also entered the final round with title hopes, finished third with 15.5 points. A beaming Praggnanandhaa revealed after the match that a pep talk from his mother back home in Chennai had lifted his spirits. “She told me that June would bring good luck,” he said with a smile, a prediction that came true.
“I was speaking to my mother on June 1, before Alireza's game, and she was telling me, ‘It's a new month, you'll play well!’ It's just one of those things that mum always says, and then these four games I won. She knew something, I guess,” said Praggnanandhaa, describing the win as the greatest in his career.
Praggnanandhaa went on to string together four consecutive victories after that. Even Carlsen, the record seven-time Norway Chess champion, was effusive in his praise for Praggnanandhaa, describing the Indian youngster’s performance as “superb”.
Such wholehearted admiration is not something the Norwegian legend hands out lightly, especially not to a rival in the same generation as Gukesh, underscoring just how impressive Praggnanandhaa's title-winning campaign had been.
“That’s pretty insane. That's as clutch as it gets, and it just shows that it would have been possible for me as well with a similar finish, but yeah, that's incredible. It shows you the volatility of the system, and he is an incredible fighter, and it’s fun to see him get rewarded for that,” Carlsen told the broadcaster.
Round 10 results:
Open: Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 15.5) lost to Wesley So (USA, 17); Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 13) bt D. Gukesh (Ind); R. Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 18) bt Vincent Keymer (11).
Women: Zhu Jiner (Chn, 16) by Koneru Humpy (Ind, 9); Ju Wenjun (Chn, 13.5) bt Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 16.5); Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 15) bt Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 10).
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