Praggnanandhaa in three-way battle for Norway Chess title heading into final round

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated compatriot D Gukesh in a classical game at Norway Chess, moving within half a point of leader Wesley So and keeping alive his hopes of becoming the first Indian champion of the prestigious tournament

Oslo: Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has put himself firmly in contention for the Norway Chess title after a commanding classical victory over compatriot D Gukesh moved him to within half a point of leader Wesley So of the USA, setting up an intriguing final round battle here.

Praggnanandhaa piled more misery on Gukesh, defeating the world champion in a classical game to earn three full points and put himself in the hunt to become the first Indian chess player to win the prestigious tournament.

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He moved into the sole second place on 15 points, just behind American GM Wesley So (15.5) after Round 9, with one round remaining on Friday.

The tournament could hardly have asked for a more dramatic finale, with France’s Alireza Firouzja also in title contention on 14.5 points in third place, leaving three players with a realistic shot at the title heading into the final round. Significantly, whoever emerges victorious on Friday will be crowned Norway Chess champion for the first time.

Playing black, Praggnanandhaa came armed with the ambitious Nimzo-Indian Samisch Variation and sprang a surprise on Gukesh. The game followed an even course through the opening before Praggnanandhaa introduced a fresh idea on move 14.

Gukesh’s response turned out to be a decisive mis-step, allowing Praggnanandhaa to win a rook and wrest complete control of the position.

Yet the game was far from being straightforward. Gukesh dug in and fought tenaciously, creating practical chances and even briefly reviving hopes of a comeback. Having let a winning position against the world champion slip away in their earlier meeting amid a time scramble, Praggnanandhaa was determined not to repeat the mistake.

This time, he kept a firm grip on the game, neutralised every counter-chance and converted his advantage with precision to claim a crucial victory.

Praggnanandhaa will face Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the decisive final round, while leader Wesley So takes on Alireza in a clash that could determine the destination of the title.

With So on 15.5 points, Praggnanandhaa on 15 and Firouzja on 14.5, all three remain in contention and are likely to push for victory rather than settle for safety.

American So holds the advantage, as a classical win would guarantee him the championship, but any slip-up could reopen the race, with Praggnanandhaa and Firouzja poised to capitalise if results fall their way.

So defeated Magnus Carlsen in the Armageddon tie-break after holding his nerve in a tense finish, a result that ultimately proved decisive in the standings.

Had So lost the Armageddon, he would have been tied with Praggnanandhaa on 15 points, keeping the title race even tighter going into the final stretch. Carlsen pressed hard throughout the game, but So defended resiliently to secure a crucial win.

Bibisara clinches women’s title

Reigning world blitz champion Bibisara Assaubayeva clinched the Norway Chess women’s title with a round to spare, even after an Armageddon tie-break loss to Ukraine’s Anna Muzychuk added just a single point to her tally.

The Kazakh star’s consistency carried her to 16.5 points, enough to secure the title despite the Armageddon setback, as she entered Round 9 with a commanding five-point lead. She needs just half a point to seal the championship.

Zhu Jiner delivered the only decisive classical result in the women’s section, defeating Divya Deshmukh with the black pieces after maintaining steady pressure through a tense middlegame, eventually converting in time trouble to secure three crucial points and climb into second place.

The encounter between Koneru Humpy and reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun ended in a classical draw, before the Chinese struck in Armageddon to claim the additional points.

Results: (Round 9):

Open: Vincent Keymer (Ger, 11) lost to Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 14.5); Wesley So (USA, 15.5) bt Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 10); D. Gukesh (Ind, 8) lost to R. Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 15).

Women: Divya Deshmukh (Ind, 10), lost to Zhu Jiner (Chn, 13); Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 16.5) lost to Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 12); Koneru Humpy (Ind, 9) lost to Ju Wenjun (Chn, 10.5).