Indian chess continues its golden run on the global stage, with R Praggnanandhaa once again delivering a statement performance against world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess 2026. The 20-year-old Grandmaster from Chennai pulled off a remarkable feat in Round 8 on Wednesday, June 3, defeating Carlsen once again—this time with the black pieces.
What makes the achievement even more special is that Praggnanandhaa had already beaten the Norwegian icon earlier in Round 3, making it a rare double over Carlsen in the same tournament. Notably, he had also defeated him in the 2024 edition of Norway Chess, further underlining his growing dominance in their head-to-head battles.
Praggnanandhaa Defeats Magnus Carlsen Again at Norway Chess 2026
R Praggnanandhaa produced another statement performance at Norway Chess 2026, stunning home favourite and world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical chess for the second time in the same tournament on Tuesday. The victory not only strengthened the 20-year-old Indian Grandmaster’s push to become the first from his country to win the prestigious event, but also saw him create history as the first player this year to beat Carlsen twice in classical format within a single tournament.
Carlsen, visibly frustrated after the loss, was seen shaking his head before quickly leaving the playing area after once again being outplayed by the young Indian. The defeat left the Norwegian’s title defence hanging in the balance, as he has now suffered multiple setbacks in what has been an unusually inconsistent campaign, including two losses to Praggnanandhaa himself.
The win lifted Praggnanandhaa to 12 points and third place in the standings, keeping him firmly in the hunt with two rounds still to play. Meanwhile, Wesley So leads the table on 14 points, with Alireza Firouzja close behind on 13 after a key win over reigning world champion D. Gukesh, whose own title hopes are now all but over. For Praggnanandhaa, however, the momentum is building at the perfect time, with his repeated success against Carlsen making him one of the standout stories of the tournament.
Praggnanandhaa’s Record-Breaking Run Continues as He Eyes Next Challenges
Praggnanandhaa’s latest victory over Magnus Carlsen carried historic weight, as it marked the first time in 19 years that the Norwegian world No. 1 had been beaten twice by the same player in a single classical tournament. The last to achieve the rare feat was Indian legend Viswanathan Anand, who defeated Carlsen twice at Linares back in 2007. Despite the milestone, the 20-year-old stayed composed and downplayed the hype around his achievement. “More than beating Magnus, I think winning a game in this tournament is more important at this stage. So I’m happy that I managed to do that,” he said, keeping his focus firmly on the bigger picture of the event.
He also praised Carlsen’s resilience during the contest, admitting how difficult it was to break him down. “No, he was actually playing really well and defending extremely well. I think many other players would start making small positional mistakes here and there, but he kept finding all the right moves,” Pragg said. “At one stage, I genuinely thought the game was just going to be a draw. It was surprising that he blundered the way he did because he had defended so well up to that point.”
Looking ahead, he added, “In general, I feel like I’m playing well. The only thing is that the time scrambles haven’t really gone my way. So I’ll just try to keep more time on the clock and continue playing the way I’ve been playing over the last few games. I’ll try to rest tomorrow and then come back in fighting mode for the final rounds.”
