Oslo: R Praggnanandhaa signalled a return to his menacing best with a sensational victory over world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, outplaying the Norwegian great to claim three full points, while reigning world champion D. Gukesh continued his worrying slide with another disappointing result at the Norway Chess tournament. Carlsen may not have looked invincible in this year’s edition, with rivals increasingly exposing rare chinks in his game. But defeating the seven-time champion on home soil remains one of the toughest feats in world chess.
Praggnanandhaa, carrying the confidence from his recent triumph at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania in Bucharest, held his nerve on Wednesday night against the five-time classical world champion in a tense time scramble to climb to second place with 4.5 points.
In a rare sight, Carlsen is languishing at the bottom of the six-player standings with just 1.5 points. The victory also marked Praggnanandhaa’s second classical win over the Norwegian legend at Norway Chess, having stunned him memorably during the 2024 edition.
However, it was Firouzja who continued to light up the tournament with his red-hot form, defeating D. Gukesh in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw to collect 1.5 points and surge to 7.5 overall.
Firouzja, still carrying the effects of the injury he suffered at the Superbet Chess Classic Romania, left the venue in a wheelchair and wearing a moon boot after another dramatic outing.
Playing in obvious discomfort, with his injured right leg awkwardly propped up on a chair and barely able to move, Firouzja showed that pain can be overcome when the target is firmly in sight.
Gukesh later admitted he had been completely absorbed in the game but could not convert his chances into a win against the Frenchman, before hurrying out of the venue and offering little insight into the alarming dip in form that has left him fourth on 3.5 points.
Meanwhile, Firouzja’s remarkable winning streak continued as he escaped from a losing position before prevailing in Armageddon after a wild and chaotic time scramble.
Gukesh’s struggles come at an awkward time for the reigning world champion, who is preparing for his world title clash later this year against challenger Javokhir Sindarov.
Praggnanandhaa matched Carlsen in a gripping time scramble from which the Norwegian legend could not recover, though the young Indian conceded that the contest could just as easily have gone the other way, with the Norwegian also holding winning chances at one stage.
“Honestly, this is not a game to celebrate too much about! In these time scrambles it’s basically like tossing a coin. It could have gone Magnus’ way or my way, so it’s not something to be extremely proud of or anything. I’m happy that I played well in the first half, I was playing with control, but in this time control it can go either way,” said Praggnanandhaa.
Carlsen later returned to the confession box to reveal he had spent 28 minutes over the routine-looking 8…Nc6, seriously considering the far sharper 8…Nxe4!? before ultimately backing away from it.
“I just wimped out a little bit at the end, which is a little bit sad,” he admitted.
All eyes will now turn to Thursday’s fourth round, where Carlsen and Gukesh are set for a blockbuster showdown.
The women’s section continues to remain fiercely competitive, with the players tightly packed on the standings and no clear frontrunner emerging yet.
Divya Deshmukh once again showcased her nerve in the tiebreaks, clinching her third Armageddon victory of the tournament — this time against tournament leader Bibisara Assaubayeva — to move to 4.5 points.
The young Indian, now placed second, further narrowed the gap on the Kazakh player, who continues to lead the field with 5.5 points.
Koneru Humpy’s difficult run showed no signs of easing as the Indian stalwart and two-time world rapid champion went down to defending champion Anna Muzychuk.
Humpy, now, finds herself at the bottom of the standings in sixth place with just two points, enduring a frustrating start to the tournament.
Results (Round 3):
Open: D Gukesh (Ind, 3.5 points) lost to Alireza Firouzja (Fra 7.5); R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 4.5) bt Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 1.5); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 3) lost to Wesley So (USA, 4).
Women: Koneru Humpy (Ind, 2) lost to Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 4); Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 5.5) lost to Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 4.5); Ju Wenjun (Chn, 3) lost to Jhu Jiner (Chn, 4).
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
