Magnus Carlsen was left fuming after losing to R Praggnanandhaa for the second time in the same tournament. The World No. 1 lost to the Indian GM in Round 8 of the ongoing Norway Chess 2026. Praggnanandhaa clinched victory in 50 moves with black pieces. He had earlier beaten the Norwegian in the third round with white pieces.
Praggnanandhaa takes on D Gukesh in his next game, and his opponent sits at the bottom of the standings. Praggnanandhaa has registered 12 points, two behind Wesley So (14), who leads the standings. Alireza Firouzja has 13 points and is also battling for the top spot.
‘It’s just unbelievably stupid’: Magnus Carlsen
Carlsen felt he had defended well, but missed the fact that his opponent’s bishop would prove decisive later. After his defeat, he accepted that he missed out on that aspect.
“All the thoughts I had about this position an hour ago turned out to be wrong. It’s just unbelievably stupid. Once I’ve saved myself, I forget that he can suddenly move the bishop that has been tied down for an eternity. It’s very frustrating, because I felt like I had done a good job of defending myself there,” he said.
“I think everyone is strong here, it’s not just about Magnus. There is also like other strong players. So, you have to do well against everyone. And, I didn’t have some good moments early in the tournament, I missed some chances,” Praggnanandhaa said.
“I’m happy that I still have a shot at it (title). Yeah, I’m happy to be in the race. Every game is important from here, and yeah, I’m happy that yesterday went well. But that (win against Carlsen) doesn’t really mean anything. I still have to give my best in the next two games. So, that’s what I’m looking forward to,” he added.
Other than Praggnanandhaa facing Gukesh in Round 9, So takes on Carlsen, and Firouzja will face Vincent Keymer. A win for the Indian GM and setbacks for So and Firouzja could send Praggnanandhaa to the top of the table.
In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh is currently third with 10 points alongside Zhu Jiner. Bibisara Assaubayeva is on top with 15.5 points.
Pairings (Round 9):
Open: Vincent Keymer (GER, 10) vs Alireza Firouzja (FRA, 13); Wesley So (USA, 14) vs Magnus Carlsen (NOR, 9); R Praggnanandhaa (IND, 12) vs D Gukesh (IND, 8).
Women: Divya Deshmukh (IND, 10) vs Zhu Jiner (CHN, 10); Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ, 15.5) vs Anna Muzychuk (UKR, 10.5); Koneru Humpy (IND, 8) vs Ju Wenjun (CHN, 9).
