Norway Chess: Praggnanandhaa Stuns World Champion Ding, Continues Giant-Slaying Run
Norway Chess 2024: After defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and No. 2 Fabiano Caruana, R Praggnanandhaa stunned World Champion Ding Liren in Round 7’s Armageddon tie-breaker. The Indian Grandmaster is currently third in the six-man standings.
In Short:
- R Praggnanandhaa defeated Ding Liren in an Armageddon tiebreaker.
- He previously stunned Magnus Carlsen in a Classical game last week.
- The Indian GM is third in the six-man open section of Norway Chess.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa continued his giant-slaying run in Norway Chess, defeating World Champion Ding Liren in an Armageddon tiebreaker in Round 7. The 18-year-old maintained his composure through the classical game and capitalized on an opportunity in the tiebreaker to pressure Ding Liren, who has struggled throughout the tournament in Stavanger.
Praggnanandhaa has been in exceptional form in Norway Chess, a prestigious double round-robin tournament. The teenage prodigy defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a Classical game for the first time last week before overcoming No. 2 Fabiano Caruana over the weekend. Despite losing to Firouzja Alireza of France in an Armageddon tiebreaker on Monday, Praggnanandhaa bounced back impressively against Ding Liren.
With the victory over the world champion, R Praggnanandhaa bolstered his chances of winning the tournament. He is now third in the six-man Open Section of Norway Chess with 11 points, 2.5 points behind leader Magnus Carlsen. Hikaru Nakamura holds the second spot with 12.5 points.
In another game on Monday, Hikaru Nakamura maintained pressure on Magnus Carlsen by securing an Armageddon win over the World No. 1 in their Round 7 match.
Praggnanandhaa has achieved two outright wins and two Armageddon wins so far in Norway Chess. The Chennai prodigy is set to face Magnus Carlsen in a highly anticipated reverse fixture next.
Praggnanandhaa’s composure and demeanor after these significant victories in Stavanger have garnered him numerous fans.
While Praggnanandhaa gains momentum after defeating Ding Liren, the world champion appears fatigued in Norway. Liren, who won the last world championship title against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, needs to regroup to compete effectively in the next edition of the tournament against India’s D Gukesh. According to FIDE, the apex governing body, there are bids from Delhi, Chennai, and Singapore to host the World Championship match.
Standings in Norway Chess Open Section after Round 7:
- Magnus Carlsen – 13
- Hikaru Nakamura – 12.5
- R Praggnanandhaa – 11
- Alireza Firouzja – 9.5
- Fabiano Caruana – 7.5
- Ding Liren – 3.5
