R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the Norway Chess tournament on Friday, June 5, 2026, sealing the title in Oslo with a decisive final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer. The 20-year-old Chennai-born grandmaster capped a dramatic comeback in one of the strongest events on the international chess calendar to claim the coveted trophy.
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph came against a star-studded field that included World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion D Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer. Entering the final round, Praggnanandhaa was embroiled in a tense three-way race with Wesley So and Firouzja; while Wesley kept his hopes alive by defeating Firouzja in an Armageddon tie-break-a sudden-death game used to produce a decisive result-Praggnanandhaa’s win over Keymer made the title unattainable for his rivals.
Magnus Carlsen ended the tournament on a brighter note by beating Gukesh in the final round to finish fourth overall, while Praggnanandhaa’s path to the title was marked by a mid-event resurgence. After a period when his chances appeared to be slipping, he produced a string of crucial classical victories-beating Firouzja, Carlsen and Gukesh-to move back into contention. His Round 9 win over Gukesh proved particularly decisive in keeping him within striking distance of the leaders.
A striking feature of Praggnanandhaa’s performance was his dominance over Carlsen: he defeated the Norwegian twice in classical play during the event, becoming only the second player after Viswanathan Anand to beat Carlsen twice in the same tournament and the first to do so in classical games in 2026.
The landmark victory cements Praggnanandhaa’s rise among the world’s elite. Already qualified for the Candidates Tournament, he has now added Norway Chess to a growing list of major achievements, reinforcing his status as one of the brightest young talents in international chess.
Original Source: https://www.guwahatiplus.com/india/r-praggnanandhaa-scripts-history-by-becoming-first-indian-to-win-norway-chess-title
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-06-06 13:03:00
