The Norway Chess 2026 is proving to be a great tournament for the Indian contingent. Earlier, Divya Deshmukh stunned no.1 Ju Wenjun and this time it was R Praggnanandhaa who stole all the headlines. He faced the current World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, and in a tense game, it was the 20-year-old Indian who stood triumphant. This was the second victory achieved by Praggnanandhaa at the same venue against the same opponent, two years after he had defeated Carlsen in the Norway Chess 2024. However, in an exclusive interaction with Sports Now after the match, he said that he was not satisfied.
Entering the round at the bottom of the table with a solitary point, R Praggnanandhaa arrived with clear attacking intent. After 62 grueling moves, a visibly frustrated Carlsen had no choice but to resign and accept defeat. This massive win has rocketed Praggnanandhaa to the second position in the tournament standings, while Carlsen has shockingly dropped to the absolute bottom.
The 20-year-old said that the win against Magnus Carlsen was crucial for the tournament, as it helped him improve his standings. However, he was not satisfied with the way that he played the game. Calling it a street fight, he said that he lost control in the time scrambles, but it was an interesting game overall.
“Yeah, I think (this) win is really crucial for the tournament to try and get back my standings,” R Praggnanandhaa said.
“But, I mean, overall as a game, I am not really satisfied. But, okay, it’s just a street fight. So, anything can happen. And this time scrambles, yeah, I lost control. But, yeah, it was a really interesting game,” he added.
‘Everyone Is Stronger’
Taking down Magnus Carlsen is a massive achievement, but R Praggnanandhaa did not let the profile of his opponent change his mindset. When asked if playing against the World No.1 required more effort than facing the other opponents, he quickly pointed out that at this elite level, there are no easy games.
“Yeah, but, okay, I think everyone is stronger. So, it requires the same effort and you have to be alert throughout the game,” the Indian Grandmaster explained.
R Praggnanandhaa will next face Vincent Keymer in Round 4, while Magnus Carlsen will face another Indian opponent in D Gukesh in the next round.
