Stavanger (Norway), May 28: India's young chess sensation Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu drew his first game with Alireza Firouzja, as Norway Chess 2024 commenced.
India's Koneru Humpy also drew her game with Pia Cramling in the women's tournament.
In the men's category, the round 1 saw all the games ending up in a draw with Armageddon deciding the points across both main and women’s events.
In a highly anticipated clash between young talents India's R Praggnanandhaa and Alireza Firouzja, the classical game ended in a draw. The subsequent Armageddon game saw both players under severe time pressure. However, India’s star prodigy emerged victorious, clinching the win with just one second remaining on his clock.
In the main event, Ding Liren and Magnus Carlsen played a calm classical game, concluding in a 14-move draw. Following the tournament’s rules, they moved to an Armageddon game, where Carlsen showcased his prowess by winning convincingly with Black.
Meanwhile, Fabiano Caruana faced Hikaru Nakamura in another engaging match. Nakamura's solid preparation led to a balanced position quickly, but Caruana missed a critical opportunity to gain an advantage. Their game ended in a draw, and Nakamura triumphed in the Armageddon game, again playing as Black.
The women's tournament also saw intense action. Although all classical games ended in draws, the game between Pia Cramling and Koneru Humpy was particularly noteworthy.
Cramling gained a significant advantage early and was poised to win by move 19, according to computer analysis. However, she couldn’t convert her advantage, and the game concluded peacefully.
Ju Wenjun emerged victorious against Vaishali , while Lei Tingjie defeated Anna Muzychuk in their respective Armageddon round 1 battles.
In the main event Round 2 parings, Carlsen will take on Nakamura, while Firouzja will be up against Caruana and Liren will face Praggnanandhaa.
In the Women's event, Indian duo Vishali and Koneru will take on each other, while Lei Tingjie will face Pia Cramling and Ju Wenjum will be up against Anna Muzychuk.
This year, the competition features not only the renowned Norway Chess tournament but also introduces Norway Chess Women, an all-female tournament showcasing the best female players globally.
Both tournaments follow a 6-player double round-robin format with equal prize funds, underscoring a commitment to gender equality in chess.
Full list of participants at Norway Chess 2024:
Men's category:
1. Magnus Carlsen (Norway), 2830, World No. 1
2. Fabiano Caruana (USA), 2804, World No. 2
3. Hikaru Nakamura (USA), 2788, World No. 3
4. World Champion Ding Liren (China), 2776, World No. 4
5. Alireza Firouzja (France), 2765, World No. 6
6. Praggnanandhaa R. (India), 2748, World No. 11
Women's Category: (ranking mentioned is in women's section):
1. Koneru Humpy (India), 2554, World No. 2
2. Lei Tingjie (China), 2550, World No. 4
3. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun (China), 2547, World No. 5
4. Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), 2525, World No. 7
5. Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), 2481, World No. 14
6. Pia Cramling (Sweden), 2437, World No. 31
Among the 12 participants, Praggnanandhaa, Koneru Humpy and Pragg's sister Vaishali Rameshbabu are the three Indians in the fray. Can any one of them, outsmart their competitors and emerge champion? India and Indians would certainly await that historic moment. Because after Viswanathan Anand, India has been waiting eagerly for its next chess world champion. (With IANS support)
