All posts tagged: Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa

R Praggnanandhaa becomes first Indian to win Norway Chess Title

R Praggnanandhaa becomes first Indian to win Norway Chess Title

Published by Webster

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa created history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess 2026 title, sealing the championship with a crucial final-round victory over Germany’s Vincent Keymer in Oslo. The 20-year-old capped a remarkable turnaround after recovering from a difficult middle phase of the tournament to emerge victorious in one of the strongest fields in world chess. Praggnanandhaa finished ahead of a star-studded lineup that included world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion D Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Keymer. Stunning comeback powers Praggnanandhaa to title The Indian’s title challenge appeared under threat midway through the tournament, but a series of impressive victories brought him back into contention. He registered crucial classical wins over Firouzja, Carlsen and Gukesh, setting up a dramatic final-round battle for the championship. His victory over Gukesh in Round 9 proved particularly important, keeping him within striking distance of the leaders before he delivered the decisive win against Keymer. One of the standout achievements of Praggnanandhaa’s campaign was his dominance over Carlsen. He defeated the …

Praggnanandhaa finishes third at the Superbet Rapid and Blitz chess tournament

Praggnanandhaa finishes third at the Superbet Rapid and Blitz chess tournament

Published by Webster

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa secured a commendable third-place finish at the Superbet Rapid and Blitz tournament in Warsaw, a key event in the Grand Chess Tour series. Slovenian Grandmaster Vladimir Fedoseev emerged as the champion with an outstanding total of 26.5 points, finishing well ahead of the rest of the field. France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave claimed second place with 21.5 points, while Praggnanandhaa followed closely behind with 20.5 points. Despite suffering several defeats in the blitz rounds, the 18-year-old Indian showed resilience, bouncing back with four wins in his final five games. He earned a prize purse of USD 25,000 for his overall performance. Fedoseev dominated the blitz section, collecting 7.5 points out of 9 games on the final day. His only loss came at the hands of Polish GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda. For his strong showing, he took home the winner’s cheque of USD 40,000. Vachier-Lagrave received USD 30,000 for finishing second. India’s Aravindh Chithambaram, playing in his debut Grand Chess Tour event, tied for seventh place with Duda, both scoring 17 points. Levon Aronian (USA) …

Playing non-stop chess takes mental and physical toll: Praggnanandhaa

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Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa admitted that playing chess throughout the year takes a toll on the physical and mental aspects of a player. “It takes some mental toll and a physical thing (as well). But we are used to it… we need to get used to it because there are tournaments all year round. I had a similar thing (situation) last year as well, so I’m sort of used to it, that’s how I want to put it,” said the 19-year-old from Chennai. Praggnanandhaa recently guided the Indian men’s team to the Chess Olympiad gold. As he returned home from Budapest, the venue for the Chess Olympiad, the Indian youngster said that there are times when he doesn’t even want to look at the chessboard. “Sometimes I don’t feel like looking at chess… then I don’t look at chess (board). When I feel like looking at chess (board), I do. When I play these tournaments (across the world), sometimes I don’t look at the chess (board) during breaks or between the events. That’s how it works …