Indian Grandmaster R Praganandha completed a stunning comeback to win the Norway Chess 2026 title, earning praise from none other than the world No.1. Magnus Carlsen After a spectacular finish to the tournament.Became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway chess tournament in Oslo’s 20-year script history. Pragnandha entered the final round trailing American Grandmaster Wesley Sue but produced a championship-winning performance when it mattered most.Needing a win against Germany’s Vincent Kemmer and dropping points against France’s Alireza Ferozja, Pragnandha saw both results fall in the right place. She beat Kaymer in a brilliant display of attacking chess, while Soo and Feroza decided on a draw, giving the Indian star the title.Carlson, who endured a tough tournament by his own high standards, was among the first to acknowledge Praganananda’s success. Norway impressed with India’s ability to deliver under pressure, especially in the closing stages.“He’s won the last four Classical games. That’s about as cliché as it gets. Prag is an incredible fighter, and it’s nice to see him get his reward,” Carlson said.The five-time world champion further emphasized the importance of this achievement.“It’s crazy. That’s as far as it gets, and it just goes to show that it would have been possible for me with a similar finish. But yeah, it’s incredible. It shows you the ups and downs of the system and what an incredible fighter he is. It’s nice to see him getting paid for it,” he added.
Prague’s memorable double on Karlsson
One of the defining stories of Norway Chess 2026 was Praganandha’s dominance against Carlsen in classical chess.The Indian grandmaster defeated the world No. 1 twice during the tournament, first in Round 3 and again in Round 8. The second win was particularly significant as Pragnandha is one of the very few players to have beaten Carlsen twice in the same classical tournament. The win was instrumental in keeping him in the title race.Nerves of steel in the final roundThe title-winning victory over Kemmer came in a dynamic Queen’s Gambit Declined. Pragnanandaa gradually improved his position before launching a decisive kingside attack. Key moments included the aggressive 33.f5 and the powerful 38.Ne6+, which exposed Black’s king and eventually led to a winning rook endgame.
