R Praggnanandhaa, the Indian Grandmaster, has extended his streak of defeating top-tier opponents at Norway Chess by beating World Champion Ding Liren in a Round 7 Armageddon tiebreaker. Throughout the classical game, the 18-year-old stayed focused and unflappable, eventually exploiting a gap in Liren's defense during the tiebreaker to secure the win against a Chinese champion who has seemed out of sorts in Stavanger.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa resumed his giant-slaying streak in Norway Chess, defeating World Champion Ding Liren in an Armageddon tiebreaker in Round 7. The 18-year-old maintained his cool throughout the classical game and capitalized on an opening in the tiebreaker to put pressure on Chinese Grandmaster Liren, who had appeared off-color throughout the tournament in Stavanger.
Praggnanandhaa is currently in peak form at the Norway Chess double round-robin event. His impressive run includes a milestone victory against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a classical game last week, followed by a win over World No. 2 Fabiano Caruana this weekend. Even after a tough Armageddon loss to France's Alireza Firouzja on Monday, he managed to recover his mental strength. This latest win over Ding Liren ensures he remains a contender for the title. He currently holds third place in the 6-man Open Section with 11 points, trailing Magnus Carlsen (the leader) by 2.5 points, with Hikaru Nakamura in second at 12.5 points. Fans have been particularly impressed by the young star's humble and calm demeanor following these major achievements.
With his victory over world champion Ding Liren, R Praggnanandhaa maintained his chances of winning the competition. He is now in third place in Norway Chess’ 6-man Open Section, with 11 points, 2.5 points behind leader Magnus Carlsen. American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura is in second place with 12.5 points. Praggnanandhaa’s calm demeanor and body language following these significant triumphs in Stavanger have won him a lot of supporters.
In another highlight of the event, Nakamura maintained his pressure on Carlsen by winning an Armageddon match in Round 7. So far in Norway Chess, Praggnanandhaa has secured two full wins and two Armageddon victories. The Chennai-born star is now preparing for a highly anticipated rematch against the local favorite, Magnus Carlsen.
While the win over Ding Liren provides a massive boost for Praggnanandhaa, the World Champion himself seems exhausted during his time in Norway. Liren looks like a shadow of the player who defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi to claim the crown, suggesting he has a steep climb ahead if he wants to compete with India's D Gukesh in their next encounter. On the administrative side, FIDE has reported that bids to host the World Championship match have been submitted by Delhi, Chennai, and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Arjun Erigaisi's dominant display at the 2024 French Team Chess Championship has pushed him into the top five of the FIDE Live Ratings, making him the highest-rated Indian player currently. With a live rating of 2769.7 after a gain of 8.7 points, Arjun now trails only Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Earlier this week, he hit a personal peak of 2771.2, becoming the first Indian to reach such a height since the legendary Vishwanathan Anand.