Sports

IIE DIGITAL DESK ; Kolkata, June 17: Indian chess sensation Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa achieved a historic milestone on Wednesday by winning the Norway Chess 2026 title after defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen twice during the tournament. With this victory, he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess event, marking a landmark moment in Indian chess history.

Praggnanandhaa expressed immense joy after the win, calling it one of the most significant achievements of his career. He said that he considers this performance even more valuable in terms of overall strength compared to other elite tournaments, pointing out that events like Tata Steel Chess feature players with comparatively lower average ratings, whereas Norway Chess brings together only the world’s absolute top-ranked players.

After defeating Germany’s rising star Vincent Keymer in the tenth and final round, Praggnanandhaa climbed to the top of the standings, overtaking American grandmaster Wesley So, who was close to securing the championship title before the final results shifted the leaderboard dramatically.

The importance of competing against the strongest field and said that the presence of Magnus Carlsen made this victory even more special. According to him, performing consistently in such a high-pressure environment against elite opposition made the triumph truly memorable.

The Indian grandmaster’s achievement became even more remarkable due to the fact that he defeated Magnus Carlsen twice in classical format during the same tournament. Beating the world number one even once is considered a major accomplishment in chess, but doing so twice in a single event is widely regarded as extraordinary.

Carlsen himself acknowledged Praggnanandhaa’s performance, stating that the Indian player had been in exceptional form. He noted that Praggnanandhaa had won his last four classical games and described the level of difficulty in the tournament as extremely high. The Norwegian star praised him as an “incredible fighter” and said it was satisfying to see him being rewarded with the championship.

Carlsen, who is not known for offering praise lightly, added that Praggnanandhaa’s consistency and fighting spirit stood out throughout the tournament, making his victory well-deserved.