OSLO, Jun 3: R. Praggnanandhaa has long maintained that facing Magnus Carlsen inspires rather than intimidates him, bringing out the best in him as was evident from the young Indian Grandmaster’s second successive win over the world No. 1 at Norway Chess.
The 20-year-old Indian star produced another statement result on Tuesday, handing Carlsen his second classical defeat of the tournament this year and tightening his charge towards a historic title no Indian has ever won.
“I think beating him in any format is good, but more than that, winning at this stage of the tournament is more important, especially in classical where you get three points,” Praggnanandhaa said after the game, which took him to 12 points and third place behind leader Wesley So (14) and France’s Alireza Firouzja (13).
It was also the Praggnanandhaa’s third classical win over Carlsen, a rare milestone at the elite level, coming after his earlier victory with the white pieces last week before repeating the feat with black on Tuesday, underlining his growing dominance in their head-to-head encounters.
On the significance of beating the “virtually invincible” Carlsen for a third time overall and twice in the same event, the young Indian said it was never about intimidation.
“I wouldn’t say I felt intimidated. I always feel more excited playing him. That always brings out my best. I don’t think his presence affects me.
We’ve had a lot of fighting games and I really enjoy playing against him.” The victory earned Praggnanandhaa a full three points in Round 8 and dealt a major blow to Carlsen’s title defence, leaving the seven-time champion on just nine points with two rounds remaining in the elite six-player double round-robin event, putting an eighth Norway Chess crown firmly out of reach.
The Indian added that he was the one taking more risks in a tense contest shaped by tournament pressure.
“Today it was more me who took the risk. The situation demanded fighting. Even Magnus would have tried to fight. We both want to beat each other, so we end up getting something out of nothing.”
He said both players produced high-quality chess, even as momentum swung sharply during the game.
“At some point I was really optimistic, but towards the end I thought it might be a draw.
Then the blunder came. It happens when you defend for a long time and are also in time trouble.” Responding to talk of a generational shift in world chess, Praggnanandhaa dismissed the idea of a “changing of the guard,” insisting the new generation is already among the elite.
“I mean, we’re already there. We are among the best players. I don’t think there is a change of guard. These things are exaggerated. We are just top players like others.”
He pointed to the continued strength of established stars such as Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, while also highlighting recent successes from his own generation.
“If you see Fabi, Hikaru, they are still competing at the top. But our generation has also won everything — (there is) a world champion, a challenger, a World Cup winner, and other major titles,” said Praggnanandhaa.
On whether Carlsen’s aura is fading, Praggnanandhaa was clear that a couple of tournament losses are not enough to make sweeping judgments, stressing that such results don’t define a player of Carlsen’s stature.
“That’s too far (fetched). He has won almost everything he’s played in the last year. One tournament or a few moments don’t change that. He is still the best.” (Agencies)
