Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa created history on Friday by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title. The 20-year-old secured the crown with a crucial final-round victory over Vincent Keymer in Oslo.
Starting the final day in third place with 15 points, Praggnanandhaa rose to the occasion when it mattered most. His win against Keymer earned him three full points, taking his tally to 18 and sealing the title.
The achievement is particularly significant as no Indian player, including chess legend Viswanathan Anand and reigning world champion D Gukesh, had managed to win the tournament since its inception in 2013.
Competing in Norway Chess for only the second time, Praggnanandhaa enjoyed a memorable campaign that included two classical victories over world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen — a feat achieved by very few players.
After clinching the title, Praggnanandhaa credited his mother for inspiring him during the tournament.
“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,” he said.
Meanwhile, Carlsen ended his campaign on a positive note by completing a classical double over Gukesh and finishing fourth in the standings.
Praising Praggnanandhaa’s title-winning performance, Carlsen said, “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.”
In the decisive final-round encounter, Praggnanandhaa and Keymer were locked in a closely fought battle before the German lost concentration in the endgame, allowing the Indian Grandmaster to capitalise and secure victory.
The triumph also saw Praggnanandhaa’s Elo rating climb back above the 2750 mark. Reflecting on missing out on qualification for the Candidates Tournament, he said he had chosen to focus on enjoying his chess rather than dwelling on future qualification scenarios.
“I decided I don’t want to think about the next Candidates already at this point—I just want to chill and enjoy the games, and that’s what I’m doing,” he said.
In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva clinched the title a round before the tournament concluded.