(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen for the first time in a Classical format, becoming the sole leader in the Norway Chess tournament in
Stavanger on Thursday.
Having previously beaten Carlsen in online and faster versions of the game, and after losing to him in the final of the last World Cup, Praggnanandhaa achieved a decisive classical victory against the home favourite.
Following his third-round win, the 18-year-old Indian now leads the men's section with 5.5 points, half a point ahead of USA's Fabiano Caruana, who scored his first classical victory against reigning world champion Ding Liren of China.
Carlsen, with three points, currently stands a distant third in the updated standings. However, with each classical win worth three points, this may change soon.
Hikaru Nakamura of the United States, Firouzja Alireza of France, and Liren are all tied for fourth place with 2.5 points in the six-player double round-robin contest.
"I wish Magnus would take similar risks against us old folks," said Nakamura on Carlsen's choice of playing a risky battle against Praggnanandhaa.
In the realm of classical chess, where players have ample time to strategize, Magnus Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa had previously drawn their encounters three times.
In the women's event, R Vaishali, Praggnanandhaa's elder sister, maintained her lead by defeating Anna Muzychuk of Norway in the Armageddon game following a drawn Classical match.
With this victory, Vaishali reached 5.5 points, securing a one-point advantage over women's world champion Wenjun Ju of China, who holds the second position with a half-point lead over compatriot Tingjie Lei.
Muzychuk, Pia Cramling of Sweden, and Koneru Humpy share the fourth position with three points each.
In their game, Praggnanandhaa seized an advantage from the beginning with better space control in the Sicilian Kann opening. As the game progressed, Carlsen found his king stuck in the center, allowing Praggnanandhaa to capitalize with precise moves after exchanging minor pieces.
With dangerous checkmate threats looming, Carlsen's vulnerable king ultimately led to his downfall in just 37 moves.
Meanwhile, Caruana demonstrated dominance over Liren in an Italian opening game.
In a bold move targeting the king side, the American player, who had previously suffered losses in the first two rounds under Armageddon, strategically sacrificed two minor pieces for a rook. This tactical maneuver dismantled black's king side, and another exchange sacrifice swiftly sealed the game in his favor.
In another match of the day, Nakamura demonstrated his superiority as white against Alireza in the USD 160,000 prize money event.
In the women's division, Vaishali maintained her lead after securing a draw as black against Muzychuk in Armageddon.
With seven rounds remaining in both sections of the event, the competition remains open and intense.
Results:
Men: R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 5.5) beat Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 3) 3-0; Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 5) beat Ding Liren (Chn, 2.5) 3-0; Hikaru Nakamura (Usa, 2.5) beat Firouzja Alireza (Fra, 2.5) 1.5-1.
Women: Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 3) lost to R Vaishali (Ind, 5.5) 1-1.5; Koneru Humpy (Ind, 3) beat Tinglie Lei (Chn, 4) 1-1.5; Pia Cramling (Swe, 3) lost to Wenjun Ju (Chn, 1-1.5.
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