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Young Indian chess star R Praggnanandhaa continues his impressive run at the Norway Chess tournament. The 18-year-year-old grandmaster pulled off a stunning upset by defeating none other than the current World Champion, Ding Liren, in a thrilling Armageddon tiebreaker following a drawn classical game.
R Praggnanandhaa on a roll
Praggnanandhaa has been a force to be reckoned with throughout the prestigious double round-robin event. Last week, he achieved a personal milestone by defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a classical game for the first time. He followed that up with another victory over No. 2 ranked Fabiano Caruana over the weekend. This win over Ding Liren comes on the heels of a tough loss to Firouzja Alireza of France in an Armageddon tiebreaker on Monday, showcasing Praggnanandhaa's resilience.
With this victory, Praggnanandhaa keeps his championship dreams alive. He currently sits at the third spot in the 6-player Open Section with 11 points, trailing leader Magnus Carlsen by 2.5 points. Hikaru Nakamura is in second place with 12.5 points.
The Norway Chess tournament continues to be a hotbed of exciting matches and upsets. In another thrilling encounter on Monday, Hikaru Nakamura mirrored Praggnanandhaa's feat by securing an Armageddon victory over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
Praggnanandhaa himself is on a roll, boasting a perfect record of two outright wins and two wins in tiebreakers. The young Indian star is now set for a highly anticipated rematch against Carlsen, but this time with the tables turned.
Praggnanandhaa's composure and confident demeanor after his victories in Stavanger have captured the hearts of fans. He's not just winning, he's doing it with style.
Meanwhile, Ding Liren's performance in Norway presents a stark contrast. The World Champion seems out of sorts, a shadow of the player who dominated Ian Nepomniachtchi in their title match. Liren will need to regroup significantly if he wants to be a serious contender against India's rising star, D Gukesh, in the next World Championship cycle. Interestingly, the battle for hosting rights is already brewing, with Delhi, Chennai, and Singapore all vying to hold the prestigious event according to FIDE, the governing body of chess.
Norway Chess Open Section standings post Round 7
1. Magnus Carlsen - 13, 2. Hikaru Nakamura - 12.5, 3. R Praggnanandhaa - 11, 4. Alireza Firouzja - 9.5, 5. Fabiano Caruana - 7.5, 6. Ding Liren - 3.5.
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