The prospect of Magnus Carlsen losing two classical games to the same player in one tournament appears unthinkable due to his strength and the rarity of double round-robin events. It is even more unthinkable the way he lost to R Praggnanandhaa.
Praggnanandhaa's Second Win Over Carlsen
The 20-year-old Indian was rewarded with his second win over the world No. 1 in the Norway Chess tournament at the Oslo Public Library on Tuesday. Carlsen, 35, suffered his fourth defeat in the meet, matching his 2015 performance, but still has mathematical chances to win the title.
Carlsen's Self-Criticism
Carlsen told the TV broadcast that he was so "talentless" that he forgot that Praggnanandhaa's bishop was unpinned and could join in the attack against his king. Carlsen is languishing at the fifth spot in a six-player field.
Praggnanandhaa's Perspective
Praggnanandhaa felt it would be incorrect to say the home boy's chess prowess is on the wane. "The quality of his games is still very high," said Praggnanandhaa. "Just that he is making decisive mistakes under time pressure."
Not just decisive, but uncharacteristic. Praggnanandhaa, who had lost to Carlsen in the 2023 World Cup final via rapid tiebreaks, said he always felt "excited" about playing against Carlsen and "not intimidated." Regarding whether younger players are taking over the mantle from Carlsen, he said a bunch of youngsters are already among the top players in the world and it is expected that they would beat Carlsen sometime or the other.
"Carlsen is having off days by his standards," said Praggnanandhaa. "He is still the best. But winning three out of four against him in Norway (counting a win in 2024) is too much."
Opening Phase and Time Management
Earlier in the day during an opening phase, Carlsen visited a confession box and peppered his take with humor. He consumed more than 64 minutes for his first 13 moves. Praggnanandhaa took less than 10 minutes in that phase.
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