Praggnanandhaa Triumphs Over Gukesh in Norway Chess Round 9
NEW DELHI: Alireza Firouzja, Magnus Carlsen, and Dommaraju Gukesh were the opponents Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa faced—and outsmarted—in his last three rounds. Three consecutive classical wins have propelled the 20-year-old into contention for the Norway Chess crown in the open section.
While the women's section concluded with Bibisara Assaubayeva drawing her Round 9 classical game against Anna Muzychuk to clinch the Norway Chess Women's title on Thursday in Oslo, the open section remains fiercely competitive. Current tournament leader Wesley So, Alireza Firouzja, and Praggnanandhaa all have a realistic chance to claim the title on Friday.
The Decisive Clash: Gukesh vs. Praggnanandhaa
The highly anticipated rematch of their Round 5 encounter took place at the iconic Deichman Bjørvika public library. This time, Gukesh wielded the White pieces and appeared sharp early on. Employing a Nimzo-Indian Sämisch setup, he displayed aggression with moves like 6.f3 and 7.e4.
Pragg responded adeptly by targeting White's structure and generating counterplay on the queenside. A pivotal moment occurred when Black's knight journeyed to a1 (15...Nxa1) and subsequently escaped (16...Nb3), gaining material and forcing White to expend time on the attack.
White did create a dangerous initiative with g4–g5 ideas and the strong sequence of 20.Nd6+ and 24.Nxc8, winning Black's rook on c8. However, Pragg defended brilliantly and consolidated his position, exploiting White's exposed king.
Once the queens were activated, Black's pieces became increasingly coordinated, while White's compensation for the exchange steadily diminished. By move 34, Black had fully neutralized White's attack, prompting Gukesh to shake Pragg's hand in resignation.
Title Race Heats Up
With this victory, Praggnanandhaa not only avenged his Round 5 defeat but also narrowed the gap to leader Wesley So to just 0.5 points heading into the final day. On Friday, he will face Germany's Vincent Keymer, who has not lost a classical game in this tournament.
The Chennai-born prodigy aims for a fourth consecutive classical win, while hoping for a favorable result in the So vs. Alireza matchup.
Other Indian Contingent Struggles
While Praggnanandhaa thrives, the rest of the Indian contingent has endured a tough tournament across both sections. Divya Deshmukh, who once led the women's section, suffered a classical defeat against China's Zhu Jiner on Thursday.
With Bibisara already securing the title with a round to spare, a win for Divya would have changed little at the top, but it capped a difficult tournament for the Indian field. Koneru Humpy also lost her Armageddon game against Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun. As things stand, Divya and Humpy sit second-to-last and last in the women's section.
In the open section, local hero and World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen lost yet again, this time in an Armageddon tie-break to Wesley So. Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja secured an Armageddon win over Keymer. On Friday, the Carlsen vs. Gukesh clash will be heavily in focus alongside the ultimate title race.
About the Author
Jyotirmoy Halder is a journalist and sports writer at TOI (digital), with a post-graduation in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi. A passionate follower of sports since childhood, he has covered everything from mainstream to niche disciplines. His career began in 2018 with SportsKeeda, followed by roles at Fansided and Get Football, where he primarily covered European football. Experienced in digital storytelling, data analysis, and athlete interviews, Jyotirmoy now works as a Digital Content Producer with The Times of India's sports team.
