Indian Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Leads Norway Chess After First-Ever Classical Win Against Magnus Carlsen

Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa secured his first classical win against World Number one Magnus Carlsen during the third round of the Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger on 29 May.

This victory placed Praggnanandhaa in the lead of the prestigious six-player open section.

Playing with white pieces, Praggnanandhaa, last year's FIDE World Cup runner-up, overcame the odds to defeat Carlsen on his home turf.

By the end of the third round, Praggnanandhaa had accumulated 5.5 points out of 9.

American Grandmaster Fabio Caruana took second place after securing three full points with his victory over GM Ding Liren on the same day.

In the women's section, Praggnanandhaa's sister, R Vaishali, maintained her lead.

Magnus Carlsen, after a risky opening move, fell to fifth place in the open section standings.

Despite trailing on the clock, Praggnanandhaa's composed play with the white pieces earned him three crucial points.

This win was significant for Praggnanandhaa, who had previously lost to Carlsen in the World Cup last year.

He becomes only the fourth Indian to defeat Carlsen in classical chess.

Norway Chess offers a prize fund of $160,000 for both the Open and Women's sections. The tournament runs from 27 May to 7 June, with six players competing in classical chess.

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