India's R Praggnanandhaa, 20, made history at the Norway Chess 2026 tournament, becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious title. The young grandmaster bounced back from a sixth-round low to win four classical games in a row, defeating top players including world no.1 Magnus Carlsen.
In the final round, Praggnanandhaa outclassed Germany's Vincent Keymer at Oslo's Deichman Bjørvika. The Indian grandmaster was seen pacing around moments before clinching the victory, feeling tense as he gathered his thoughts.
Praggnanandhaa completed a double over Carlsen in the tournament and revealed that he felt a lot of tension once he realized he was in a winning position. He credited his victory over D Gukesh earlier in the week as a turning point in his comeback.
With 18 points, Praggnanandhaa topped the leaderboard, one point ahead of the USA's Wesley So. The young grandmaster's win marked a historic chapter in Indian chess.
