May 30th 2024.
Stavanger, Norway's picturesque coastal city, recently witnessed a historic moment in the world of chess. Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa, known for his impressive skills in online and faster versions of the game, achieved a remarkable feat by defeating the world's number one player Magnus Carlsen in the Classical format for the first time. This victory not only marked his first win against Carlsen, but also propelled him to the top of the leaderboard in the ongoing Norway chess tournament.
Praggnanandhaa's previous encounters with Carlsen in the Classical format had all ended in draws, making this triumph even more significant. The 18-year-old prodigy had lost to Carlsen in the finale of the last World Cup, but this time he emerged victorious in what can be described as a clear classical triumph. With this win, Praggnanandhaa now leads the men's section with 5.5 points, half a point ahead of USA's Fabiano Caruana.
Carlsen, on the other hand, currently stands at third place with 3 points. However, with each classical win being worth three points, his position in the standings may not remain the same for long. The fourth spot is currently shared by Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Firouzja Alireza of France, and China's Ding Liren, all with 2.5 points in the six-player double round-robin contest.
In a lighthearted comment, Nakamura expressed his wish for Carlsen to take similar risks against "us old folks" like Praggnanandhaa. Classical chess, also known as slow chess, allows players a significant amount of time to make their moves, usually at least one hour. It is a format that does not find many favors in elite chess circles, but Praggnanandhaa proved otherwise with his impressive performance against Carlsen.
In the women's event, Praggnanandhaa's elder sister R Vaishali maintained her sole lead by defeating Anna Muzychuk of Norway in the Armageddon game after drawing in the Classical format. Vaishali now has 5.5 points, enjoying a full-point lead over women's world champion Wenjun Ju of China, who is in second place with 4.5 points. Muzychuk, Pia Cramling of Sweden, and Koneru Humpy share the fourth spot with 3 points each.
Praggnanandhaa's victory against Carlsen came in a Sicilian Kann opening, a rare choice in elite chess circles. Right from the beginning, the Indian super-talent gained an advantage through better space control. As the game progressed, Carlsen's king found itself stuck in the center, and Praggnanandhaa capitalized on this by making some clever moves after exchanging minor pieces. Eventually, Carlsen's king was left vulnerable, and Praggnanandhaa posed some dangerous checkmate threats, leading to his victory in just 37 moves.
In another noteworthy game, Caruana outclassed Liren in an Italian opening, sacrificing two minor pieces for a rook to secure victory. Meanwhile, Nakamura proved to be the superior player against Alireza, winning with a 1.5-1 score.
In the women's section, Vaishali maintained her lead with a draw against Muzychuk in Armageddon, while Koneru Humpy defeated Tinglie Lei to climb up to the third spot. Pia Cramling, on the other hand, lost to Wenjun Ju, who is in second place with 4.5 points.
With seven rounds still remaining in both sections of the tournament, the excitement and competition are only expected to intensify. The current results and standings are as follows:
Men: R Praggnanandhaa - 5.5 points, Fabiano Caruana - 5 points, Magnus Carlsen - 3 points, Hikaru Nakamura - 2.5 points, Firouzja Alireza - 2.5 points, Ding Liren - 2.5 points.
Women: R Vaishali - 5.5 points, Wenjun Ju - 4.5 points, Tinglie Lei - 4 points, Koneru Humpy - 3 points, Pia Cramling - 3 points, Anna Muzychuk - 2.5 points.
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