Praggnanandhaa Stuns Carlsen Again, Keeps Norway Chess Title Hopes Alive

Oslo: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa delivered another remarkable performance at the prestigious Norway Chess 2026, defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the second time in the tournament and further intensifying the battle for the title.

The 20-year-old Indian star, who had earlier defeated Carlsen with the white pieces, repeated the feat in Round 8 while playing Black. The victory marked his second classical win over the five-time world champion in the same event, a rare achievement in modern chess.

With the result, Praggnanandhaa became only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to beat Carlsen twice in a single tournament. He also entered an exclusive group of players who have defeated the Norwegian maestro three times in classical chess.

Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja scored a crucial classical victory over reigning World Champion D Gukesh. Firouzja capitalised on a tense endgame under severe time pressure to earn a full point and move within striking distance of the tournament lead.

In another key encounter, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer drew their classical game. However, So emerged victorious in the Armageddon tiebreak, collecting valuable extra points to stay ahead in the standings.

After eight rounds, Wesley So leads the tournament with 14 points, followed by Firouzja on 13 points. Praggnanandhaa remains firmly in contention with 12 points as the championship heads into its decisive final stages.

In the women's competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva strengthened her grip on the top spot with an impressive win over Divya Deshmukh. Playing with the black pieces, Assaubayeva defended accurately before turning the game in her favour as Divya struggled with time pressure.

Zhu Jiner also registered a major victory, defeating Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun after steadily converting an endgame advantage. The win brought Zhu level with Divya on 10 points.

The clash between Anna Muzychuk and Koneru Humpy ended in a classical draw. Humpy then prevailed in the Armageddon tiebreak, earning the additional points on offer.

Following Round 8, Assaubayeva tops the women's standings with 15.5 points. Muzychuk occupies second place with 10.5 points, while Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner share third position on 10 points each.

With inputs from IANS