Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa completed a remarkable comeback to win the Norway Chess 2026 title, earning praise from none other than World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen after a stunning finish to the tournament.The 20-year-old scripted history in Oslo by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess tournament. Praggnanandhaa entered the final round trailing American Grandmaster Wesley So but produced a championship-winning performance when it mattered most.Needing a victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer and requiring So to drop points against France’s Alireza Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa saw both results fall perfectly into place. He defeated Keymer in a brilliant display of attacking chess, while So and Firouzja settled for a draw, handing the Indian star the title.Carlsen, who endured a difficult tournament by his lofty standards, was among the first to acknowledge Praggnanandhaa’s achievement. The Norwegian was particularly impressed by the Indian’s ability to deliver under pressure in the closing stages.“He won the last four classical games. That’s as clutch as it gets. Pragg is an incredible fighter, and it’s fun to see him get rewarded for that,” Carlsen said.The five-time world champion further underlined the significance of the achievement.“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. It’s fun to see him get rewarded for that,” he added.
Pragg’s memorable double over Carlsen
One of the defining stories of Norway Chess 2026 was Praggnanandhaa’s dominance against Carlsen in classical chess.The Indian Grandmaster defeated the world No. 1 twice during the tournament, first in Round 3 and then again in Round 8. The second victory was particularly significant as Praggnanandhaa became one of the very few players to beat Carlsen twice in the same classical tournament. The wins proved crucial in keeping him in contention for the title race.Nerves of steel in the final roundThe title-clinching victory over Keymer came in a dynamic Queen’s Gambit Declined. Praggnanandhaa gradually improved his position before launching a decisive kingside attack. Key moments included the aggressive 33.f5 and the powerful 38.Ne6+, which exposed Black’s king and eventually led to a winning rook endgame.
Who do you think will be biggest rival of Praggnanandhaa in upcoming chess tournaments?
