In a major development, Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has scripted history and become the first Indian in history to win the Norway Chess title. He defeated Vincent Keymer and completed a stunning run of four classical wins to bring the tournament to an end.
Wesley So finished in second place after he defeated Alireza Firouzja in Armageddon, and it is worth noting that Wesley would have taken the title if not for Pragg’s win. Praggnanandhaa finished with a brilliant 12/12 point finish, which saw him clinch the title for his name.
France’s Alireza Firouzja finished in third place in the tournament, whereas Magnus Carlsen finished in fourth. The Norway Chess 2026 would be remembered for a set of brilliant comebacks by the Indian grandmaster. By the time the sixth round was done, Praggnanandhaa found himself at the bottom with just six points to his name.
At that point, he had suffered defeats against Gukesh and Wesley in consecutive games and looked set for another underwhelming campaign. However, he then went on to collect four straight classical wins, claiming the double against Magnus Carlsen in the process as well.
Praggnanandhaa revealed how a phone call to his mother changed his mindset
After a set of subpar performances, Praggnanandhaa came forward and revealed that a phone call to his mother helped him turn his fortune around, which would see him clinch the title in one of the most spectacular comebacks seen in the history of the sport.
“I was speaking to my mother on 1st June, before Alireza’s game, and she was telling me, ‘It’s a new month. You’ll play well’. And then I was like, ‘Okay, it’s just one of these things that Mom always says’. And then I win four games at once. She knew something I guess,” Pragg told Chess24.
“Somehow things went all my way. I also feel I started playing with more control, which is always a good thing. It’s just that I decided I will play a bit faster than I was doing. I was having time advantage in every game and I was also able to play decent quality moves, so I think that certainly helped,” he added.
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