Praggnanandhaa Excited for Norway Chess Challenge Against Carlsen and Co.

Indian chess prodigy Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is eagerly anticipating his participation in the prestigious 12th edition of Norway Chess, set to take place from May 27 to June 7 in Stavanger, Norway. The tournament boasts an exceptional lineup, including world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, World Champion Ding Liren, and world No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura.

Pragg, 18, expressed his excitement about the opportunity to compete against such a formidable field. "I am very happy and excited to play in Norway Chess. The field is extremely strong. This is perhaps the strongest field I have played, and I see this as an opportunity and a challenge to give my best," he said.

Reflecting on his memorable contest with Carlsen at last year's FIDE Chess World Cup, Pragg emphasized his eagerness to face the Norwegian once again. "I always enjoy a good challenge. After the World Cup last year, this will be my first classical game with him. I am quite excited to play him and equally excited to play the others. No doubt the experience here will help me in future tournaments."

Pragg dismissed the notion that playing Carlsen on his home turf would pose a significant challenge. "I don't think playing Magnus on his home turf is a challenge for me. Usually, it matters to the player playing in his home, but it won't matter so much for me," he asserted.

The young Indian also expressed his delight at the inclusion of an exclusive women's tournament in Norway Chess. "I am happy to see an exclusive women's tournament being introduced in Norway Chess. It is a very good initiative because there are not many tournaments for women. This will encourage other organizations to come up with women's tournaments too."

Pragg's sister, Vaishali Rameshbabu, will also make her debut in the Norway Chess Women's Tournament. "I am looking forward to seeing how she will do," Pragg said.

The tournament will be played in a double round-robin format with classical time control. In case of a draw, an Armageddon game will be played.

Tags: #Chess, #NorwayChess, #Praggnanandhaa, #MagnusCarlsen, #DingLiren