By Vipul Kashyap
Oslo [Norway], June 6 : Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa expressed delight after he became the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess title, and said the victory will "top all my wins".
Praggnanandhaa clinched the crown with a final-round victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer, capping off one of the most impressive comeback runs in the tournament's history.
The 20-year-old finished ahead of a line-up featuring World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, reigning World Champion Gukesh D, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Vincent Keymer. Along the way, he defeated Carlsen twice and registered a crucial classical victory over Gukesh.
Playing with the white pieces against Vincent Keymer in the final round, the Indian Grandmaster made full use of his opportunity, converting a crucial victory. The result earned Praggnanandhaa a maximum of three points and took his tally to 18, enough to secure first place in the standings.
Speaking to ANI, Praggnanandhaa described the win as the most special tournament win of his career. He highlighted his remarkable comeback from around the last place in the standings during the initial stages of the Norway Chess to champion by winning four consecutive games, calling it an achievement that surpasses all his previous successes.
Notably, Praggnanandhaa faced a 0-3 defeat to Alireza Firouzja in Round 2, after which he was placed fifth in the standings.
"I'm super happy with the result, and especially to do it in this manner, to win four games in a row and to come back from the last place is something that you never imagine four days back, so it's something that this is a special tournament win and this wil top all my wins so far," he told ANI.
Praggnanandhaa described the Norway Chess format as extremely demanding. He said competing against a field filled with top players made the tournament particularly challenging.
"It's certainly a tough tournament. I think this format is tough. You have to be alert throughout and even in time scrambles, it can go either way, so you have to be alert, and it's not difficult to even convert a good game. So it's a difficult format, and against the absolute top players, it's a challenging tournament. So I'm happy that I managed to come out on top in this specific format and specific tournament. And I think this is like the strongest tournament in the chess world, where there is just no weak link. You can't target anyone and get those points, so like everyone is a top player. So yeah, it's been an extra special feeling when you win such tournaments," he said.
The victory over Keymer came on the back of Praggnanandhaa's wins against Alireza Firouzja, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and reigning world champion D Gukesh over the previous four days. The tournament also saw Praggnanandhaa complete a rare double over Carlsen.
The tournament also witnessed the Indian grandmaster achieve a rare double over Carlsen, securing 3-0 victories against the Norwegian in both Round 3 and Round 8.
However, he hailed Carlsen as the greatest of all time, saying he grew up studying and being inspired by the Norwegian's games. But he noted that he does not dwell on Carlsen's stature when facing him over the board, instead focusing on the game itself.
Praggnanandhaa said playing Carlsen brings out his best and often leads to intense battles.
"To me, he's the GOAT. I've seen him dominate the chess scene for the last 15 years or so. He's been the number one player, so I've grown up studying his games, and his games always inspire me. But I don't think of any of those things when I'm playing him. It's just that, when I play Magnus, it also excites me and brings my best, and I think we end up having some crazy fights in every game. So, I really enjoy my games with him and I'm happy that it went my way this time," the 20-year-old said.
"For me, more than beating him, I think it helped in the way to win the tournament, so that's more important for me. I'm super happy. In the course of winning the tournament, also getting to play Magnus and beating him is very special," he said.
Praggnanandhaa said chess has witnessed remarkable growth in India over the past five to six years. He expressed happiness at the sport's rising popularity and noted that chess players are grateful for the increasing support.
"This is something remarkable. I think if you ask me, like five years or six years back, where chess was and where chess is, it's just an incredible growth. And um yeah, it's something that I think every chess player is just so happy to see. And um yeah, the amount of love that nowadays chess players receive is just something that we're grateful," he said.
Praggnanandhaa, who is supported by Adani Sportsline through its "Garv Hai" initiative, expressed gratitude for the support he receives from Adani Group. He said that chess training and international travel can be challenging for players, and such corporate backing helps ease these burdens so he can focus fully on his game.
"I think this is something that lot of people don't know that chess training and travelling to tournaments can be a tough thing for normal people. And I think that's where the support from corporates like Adani Group come in and they help you manage all these things and that I just have to focus on the game. So I'm truly grateful to the Adani Group for their support. And it also feels like a family, they're always there to support and anything required, we talk to them and everything is sorted. So it feels really nice to have that connection, and I'm truly grateful for the support," Praggnanandhaa concluded.