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R Praggnanandhaa was praised by World No.1 Magnus Carlsen for delivering clutch performances in the final rounds of Norway Chess, where the Indian Grandmaster secured a historic victory.
Praggnanandhaa was struggling at the bottom of the six-man standings with four rounds remaining. However, he found ways to win his final four matches to gallop to the top of the table and win the prestigious tournament in Oslo.
Carlsen, who lost to Praggnanandhaa in both the rounds, said that the Indian GM's performance in the last four classical games was "as clutch as it gets".
"He won the last four classical games. That's as clutch as it gets. Pragg is an incredible fighter, and it is fun to see him get rewarded for that," Carlsen said.
"That's pretty insane! That's as clutch as it gets, and it just shows that it would have been possible for me as well with a similar finish," the former world champion wondered.
"But yeah, that's incredible. It shows you the volatility of the system and he is an incredible fighter. It's fun to see him get rewarded for that," he added.
Praggnanandhaa defeated Vincent Keymer in the last round to win the tournament, making him the first Indian to win the prestigious annual competition in Oslo. He also became only the second men to not let Carlsen win the tournament in last eight years after American GM Hikaru Nakamura had done it in 2023. The double over Carlsen was even more signficant as it was only the second time after the legendary Viswanathan Anand that an Indian had achieved it in a tournament. He also became the first player to beat Carlsen twice in classical games in 2026.
For Praggnanandhaa, it was among his biggest achievements in his short career so far. Meanwhile, D Gukesh's poor form continued as he finished last in the six-man field.
Praggnanandhaa was struggling at the bottom of the six-man standings with four rounds remaining. However, he found ways to win his final four matches to gallop to the top of the table and win the prestigious tournament in Oslo.
'Praggnanandhaa is an incredible fighter'
Carlsen, who lost to Praggnanandhaa in both the rounds, said that the Indian GM's performance in the last four classical games was "as clutch as it gets".
"He won the last four classical games. That's as clutch as it gets. Pragg is an incredible fighter, and it is fun to see him get rewarded for that," Carlsen said.
"That's pretty insane! That's as clutch as it gets, and it just shows that it would have been possible for me as well with a similar finish," the former world champion wondered.
"But yeah, that's incredible. It shows you the volatility of the system and he is an incredible fighter. It's fun to see him get rewarded for that," he added.
Praggnanandhaa defeated Vincent Keymer in the last round to win the tournament, making him the first Indian to win the prestigious annual competition in Oslo. He also became only the second men to not let Carlsen win the tournament in last eight years after American GM Hikaru Nakamura had done it in 2023. The double over Carlsen was even more signficant as it was only the second time after the legendary Viswanathan Anand that an Indian had achieved it in a tournament. He also became the first player to beat Carlsen twice in classical games in 2026.
For Praggnanandhaa, it was among his biggest achievements in his short career so far. Meanwhile, D Gukesh's poor form continued as he finished last in the six-man field.
