NEW DELHI, June 3 (HS): Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa delivered another outstanding performance in the eighth round of the Norway Chess 2026 tournament in Oslo, defeating five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen and further intensifying the race for the title.

This marks the second time in the tournament that Praggnanandhaa has defeated Carlsen. The Indian prodigy had earlier overcome the Norwegian legend in the fourth round as well.

With this crucial victory, Praggnanandhaa moved to 12 points and climbed to third place in the standings. With only two rounds remaining in the tournament, the Indian Grandmaster remains firmly in contention, trailing the leader by just two points.

American Grandmaster Wesley So continues to lead the standings with 14 points, while France's Alireza Firouzja occupies second place with 13 points.

Meanwhile, in the Open section, India's other leading player, D Gukesh, suffered a defeat against Firouzja in the eighth round. Gukesh currently sits at the bottom of the standings with eight points, while Carlsen is just one point ahead of him.

With two rounds left to be played, the battle for the Norway Chess 2026 crown remains wide open, with Praggnanandhaa still very much in the hunt for the prestigious title.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar