Magnus Carlsen, the world’s top-ranked chess player, exacted revenge on R Praggnanandhaa in the eighth round of the Norway Chess tournament. The victory extended Carlsen’s lead in the tournament to a full point with just two rounds remaining.
Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa played out a tense draw in the classical game, with neither player able to gain an advantage. However, in the subsequent Armageddon tiebreaker, Carlsen’s experience and superior endgame technique proved too much for his younger opponent.
Elsewhere in the Open event, Hikaru Nakamura and Alireza Firouzja played out a thrilling draw in the classical game, with Firouzja ultimately winning the blitz showdown. World Champion Ding Liren suffered a setback, losing to Fabiano Caruana in the Armageddon game after squandering two winning positions.
In the Women’s Norway Chess competition, world champion Wenjun Ju secured an impressive victory over Pia Cramling, solidifying her lead in the standings. Ju is now a full point ahead of Anna Muzychuk, with two rounds remaining in the tournament.
With two rounds to go in the round-robin tournament, Carlsen holds a commanding lead with 14.5 points. Nakamura is in second place with 13.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa with 12 points. Alireza Firouzja is in fourth place with 11 points, while Fabiano Caruana occupies the fifth spot with 9 points. Ding Liren languishes in last place with just 4.5 points.
The Norway Chess tournament is one of the most prestigious chess events in the world, and Carlsen’s victory is a testament to his continued dominance of the game. The tournament concludes on June 11th, and Carlsen will be looking to secure his first Norway Chess title since 2019.
