Others

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa's impressive run at the Norway Chess tournament came to an end in the second round, as he succumbed to World Champion Ding Liren in the Armageddon tie-breaker. The highly anticipated clash between the two ended in a draw under normal time control, setting the stage for a thrilling tie-breaker.In the Armageddon game, Liren emerged victorious, showcasing his exceptional skills under pressure. The Chinese GM's triumph marked a significant moment in the tournament, as he overcame Praggnanandhaa's 2-0 head-to-head advantage.Meanwhile, Magnus Carlsen continued his dominance, securing a crucial victory in the Armageddon game against Hikaru Nakamura. Carlsen's exceptional skill under pressure was evident as he added to his impressive Armageddon record and took the lead in the tournament standings with 3 points.Alireza Firouzja also impressed, drawing his classical game against Fabiano Caruana before showcasing his abilities in speed chess to bag 1.5 points in the Armageddon game.In the women's section, R Vaishali made history by defeating fellow Indian Koneru Humpy in a classical game. Vaishali's victory marked her first classical win in the tournament and propelled her to the position of India's number two female player on the live rating list.The other two classical matches between Lei Tingjie and Pia Cramling, as well as Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk, ended in hard-fought draws. However, the Chinese duo of Wenjun and Tingjie emerged victorious in their respective Armageddon games.The Norway Chess tournament continues to provide thrilling action, with the world's top players showcasing their exceptional skills. Praggnanandhaa's loss to Liren may have been a setback, but it serves as a reminder of the intense competition at the highest level of chess.

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.