Praggnanandhaa defeated Vincent Keymer in the final round to become the first Indian to win the Norway Chess title, completing a stunning comeback and earning the $100,000 top prize.
Praggnanandhaa beats Keymar to win Norway Chess, first Indian to bag title in the classical section of the prestigious tournament being played in Stavanger (Norway). Photo credit: Norway Chess/X
Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title after defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the 10th and final round on Friday.
The 20-year-old from Chennai completed a remarkable comeback in one of the world’s strongest chess tournaments, finishing with 18 points to clinch the championship and the top prize of $100,000.
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R Praggnanandhaa etched his name into Indian chess history by becoming the first Indian to claim the prestigious Norway Chess title, capping off a stunning late rally in Oslo. The 20-year-old Grandmaster secured the championship with a final-round win over Germany’s Vincent… pic.twitter.com/vMGSQPWBS9
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Playing with the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa capitalised on Keymer’s inaccuracies in the middlegame before converting his advantage into victory on the 45th move. He ended the tournament with five wins, two losses and two classical draws, both of which he converted into Armageddon victories.
Praggnanandhaa entered the final round trailing overnight leader Wesley So by half a point. However, So’s early draw against Alireza Firouzja opened the door, and the Indian grandmaster seized the opportunity by securing a decisive win over Keymer to claim the title outright.
Wesley So finished second with 17 points, while Alireza Firouzja took third place with 15.5 points under the tournament’s unique scoring system, where a classical win earns three points and drawn games are followed by an Armageddon tie-break for a bonus point.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen concluded his home event with a victory over reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the final round but finished fourth with 13 points. Carlsen suffered two defeats to Praggnanandhaa during the tournament.
Vincent Keymer ended fifth with 11 points, while Gukesh finished sixth with eight points after recording one classical win, five defeats and four draws.
Also Read: Norway Chess 2026: Praggnanandhaa beats Gukesh as title race heads into final round
Praggnanandhaa’s triumph was made even more remarkable by his stunning turnaround. He was placed last after six rounds but responded with four consecutive victories, including wins over Magnus Carlsen and Gukesh, to complete one of the greatest comebacks in the tournament’s history and become the first Indian champion at Norway Chess.
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