Praggnanandhaa's Remarkable Comeback at Norway Chess

Praggnanandhaa's Stunning Victory

R Praggnanandhaa delivered an impressive performance by defeating world champion D Gukesh in the ninth round of the Norway Chess tournament, significantly enhancing his chances for the title. This victory marked Praggnanandhaa's third win in a row, elevating him to second place in the standings with 15 points. Wesley So currently leads with 15.5 points, while Alireza Firouzja follows closely in third with 14.5 points. After a shaky start, where he lost to Gukesh and Wesley So in earlier rounds, Praggnanandhaa has shown remarkable resilience. On Tuesday, he also achieved a notable double victory against Magnus Carlsen, the defending champion and World No.1. Following this win, Praggnanandhaa expressed his satisfaction with remaining in contention for the title despite earlier setbacks. He remarked, "I’m quite proud of this game because I usually struggle against him. I managed my time well and calculated effectively, leading to a good game overall," during an interview with Norway Chess' official broadcast.

Reflecting on his performance, Praggnanandhaa noted that he played well throughout the tournament but let some games slip at critical moments. He acknowledged that better time management in earlier rounds could have placed him in a stronger position. "I felt I played well in this tournament. There were a couple of positions I could have converted better. Even in the game against Gukesh, I was winning but faltered under time pressure," he explained.

Praggnanandhaa emphasized that he remained unfazed by his earlier defeats, stating, "You can’t expect to win three in a row against such strong opponents when you’re at the bottom. I focus on fighting for every game, taking it one at a time. Winning even a single game here is incredibly challenging, so I just concentrate on my performance in each match."

Path to the Title

How Can Praggnanandhaa Win The Title

Currently, Praggnanandhaa, Wesley So, and Alireza Firouzja are all vying for the championship. In the tenth round, Praggnanandhaa will face Vincent Keymer and must secure a classical win to keep his title hopes alive. Achieving a classical victory would bring his total to 18 points. Additionally, he will need Firouzja to defeat Wesley So. In this scenario, Praggnanandhaa would lead with 18 points, while So would remain at 15. Even if So manages a draw and wins in Armageddon, he would only reach 17 points, thus unable to surpass Praggnanandhaa. However, if Praggnanandhaa achieves any result other than a classical win, such as an Armageddon victory, he would end up with 16.5 points, which would not suffice as one of So or Firouzja would surpass him.