In the second round of the Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger, Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa encountered a tough defeat against World Champion Ding Liren.
Following a draw under regular time control, Praggnanandhaa succumbed in the Armageddon tie-breaker. The round concluded with all classical games ending in draws, but Magnus Carlsen, Alireza Firouzja, and Ding Liren each emerged victorious in their respective Armageddon matches, securing 1.5 points apiece.
Praggnanandhaa, who previously held a 2-0 lead over Liren, marked his first classical draw at this main event. However, Liren claimed victory in the decisive Armageddon round. In another notable match, Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura drew their classical game. Carlsen then won the Armageddon, showcasing his skills under pressure and moving into a three-point lead in the tournament standings.
Firouzja also demonstrated his prowess in speed chess by securing a win in the Armageddon round against Fabiano Caruana after their classical game ended in a draw.
In the women’s section, R Vaishali triumphed over Koneru Humpy, marking her first classical win in the tournament. Despite Humpy’s early advantage, a critical error under time pressure led to Vaishali’s victory, which was also her first against India’s top-ranked female player. This win elevated Vaishali to second among India’s female players on the live rating list.
The chess matches featuring Lei Tingjie against Pia Cramling and Ju Wenjun against Anna Muzychuk concluded in hard-fought draws. However, the subsequent Armageddon games saw Chinese players Wenjun and Tingjie each claiming a victory.
