Gukesh’s title hopes end
Oslo: Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa strengthened his bid for a maiden Norway Chess title by defeating world No 1 Magnus Carlsen in a classical game for the second time this year, while world champion D Gukesh’s hopes faded after another defeat in Round 8 here.
The 20-year-old Indian, playing with the black pieces, outplayed hometown favourite Carlsen in a queen-and-bishop endgame after the Norwegian faltered under pressure. Praggnanandhaa became the only player to beat Carlsen twice in classical chess in 2026. The victory lifted Praggnanandhaa to third place with 12 points, two behind leader Wesley So, who beat Vincent Keymer in the Armageddon tie-break after their classical game ended drawn. Alireza Firouzja moved to second on 13 points after defeating Gukesh in a
classical encounter.
Carlsen’s third defeat of the tournament left him on nine points and virtually out of title contention.
Praggnanandhaa said the win was more important for his tournament prospects than the fact that it came against Carlsen, while insisting the Norwegian remained one of the strongest players in the game.
In the women’s section, Bibisara Assaubayeva extended her lead after defeating Divya Deshmukh, while Zhu Jiner beat Ju Wenjun to move level with the Indian on 10 points.
