Praggnanandhaa scripts history, becomes first Indian to win Norway chess tournament

Oslo: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa etched his name into the history books on Friday, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess tournament after defeating Germany's Vincent Keymer in the final round in Oslo.

The 20-year-old from Chennai entered the concluding day in third place on 15 points but rose to the occasion when it mattered most. His classical victory over Keymer earned him three full points, taking his tally to 18 and securing one of the most coveted titles in world chess.

The triumph marks a landmark achievement for Indian chess, with Praggnanandhaa succeeding where several of the country's greatest players, including Viswanathan Anand and reigning world champion D Gukesh, had fallen short since the tournament began in 2013.

Playing only his second Norway Chess event, Praggnanandhaa recovered from a sluggish start to produce a remarkable second-half surge. One of the defining moments of his campaign was defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen twice in classical chess — a rare feat that highlighted his growing stature among the game's elite.

The Indian prodigy also bounced back strongly from a disappointing Candidates Tournament earlier this year, delivering one of the finest performances of his career on the sport's biggest stage.

Praggnanandhaa's path to the title was aided by American Grandmaster Wesley So, who entered the final round as the leader on 15.5 points. So was held to a draw by Alireza Firouzja in their classical encounter, forcing the contest into an Armageddon tie-break.

The result opened the door for Praggnanandhaa, who knew a classical win against Keymer would be enough to move to the top of the standings.

Although So eventually won the Armageddon game, the victory earned him only 1.5 points, taking his total to 17 — one short of Praggnanandhaa's winning score.

Firouzja finished third with 15.5 points.

Meanwhile, world champion D Gukesh endured a disappointing campaign and failed to mount a serious title challenge in his third appearance at the tournament. In the final round, Magnus Carlsen defeated the Indian star with the white pieces in a classical game. The Norwegian legend finished fifth overall with 13 points, unable to convert the win into a late title push.