Magnus Carlsen has closed the gap and now shares the lead at the Oslo Esports Cup, thanks to a sweeping 3-0 win against Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa in Round 4. The World Champion is currently on a hot streak, having won five rapid games in a row. With this effortless victory, Carlsen and the teenage Grandmaster are now tied at nine points, reaffirming Carlsen's absolute dominance in the sport.
Following the leaders are Grandmasters Jan-Krzystof Duda and Leim Quang Le, who have seven and six points respectively. Anish Giri and Jorden van Foreest, both from the Netherlands, have collected five points each. Rounding out the field are Shakhriyar Mamedyarov with four points and Eric Hansen, who currently has three.
Liem, still viewed as a formidable threat in the tournament, picked up a win against Hansen and still has one game left to play. This follows an impressive third-round showing by the young Indian star Praggnanandhaa, who earned $22,500 after a convincing win over Liem.
The Round 4 matchup between World Champion Magnus Carlsen and the 16-year-old rising talent Praggnanandhaa was the highlight of the event. The hype was justified, especially since Praggnanandhaa had shocked the chess community two months earlier by defeating Carlsen during the Airthings Elite tournament. Their first game was a grueling battle of attrition; Carlsen eventually navigated a complex position to gain a pawn advantage, securing a hard-fought win after 76 moves.
Despite the first loss, Praggnanandhaa remained determined and put Carlsen under significant pressure during the opening of the second game. However, after Carlsen weather the storm, the teenager became overly aggressive. Seeking an attack where none was truly available, Pragg attempted a tactical maneuver that proved fatal. This error collapsed his position quickly, leading to a swift defeat.
Facing a desperate situation where he needed to win the next two games just to reach a tie-break, Praggnanandhaa again opted for an unjustified offensive instead of the precise defense the position required. This tactical misstep gave Carlsen the perfect opening to launch a devastating counter-attack.
Following the match, Praggnanandhaa expressed his desire to be more resilient against the World Champion in the future. For the young Indian player, this encounter serves as a valuable lesson in a career that holds immense potential.