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India's R Praggnanandhaa added another landmark achievement to Indian chess by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title after a strong late surge in Oslo.
The 20-year-old Grandmaster clinched the crown with a final-round victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer, capping off one of the most impressive comeback runs in the tournament's history. The elite tournament featured a world-class field, including World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning world champion D Gukesh, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer, making it one of the strongest events on the international chess calendar. The victory over Keymer came on the back of Praggnanandhaa's wins against Alireza Firouzja, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and reigning world champion D Gukesh over the previous four days. The tournament also saw Praggnanandhaa complete a rare double over Carlsen. Entering the round half a point behind Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew that a win would put him in a strong position to seize the title. Playing with the white pieces against Vincent Keymer, the Indian Grandmaster made full use of his opportunity, converting a crucial victory. The result earned Praggnanandhaa a maximum of three points and took his tally to 18, enough to secure first place in the standings. Wesley So, who had led the tournament heading into the final day, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja in a balanced contest. He later prevailed in the Armageddon tiebreak to collect additional points, while Firouzja finished third after a strong campaign in Oslo. The remaining game between World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju ended with a classical win for Carlsen. The Norwegian star kept pushing in a long battle and finished the event on a winning note. After Round 10, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu wins Norway Chess 2026 with 18 points. Wesley So finishes second with 17 points, while Alireza Firouzja takes third place with 15.5 points. (ANI)
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