Young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa dealt another stunning blow to hometown hero and world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, defeating the Norwegian in a classical game for the second time at Norway Chess 2026 and boosting his bid to become the first Indian champion of the prestigious event. World champion D. Gukesh's title hopes ended after another heavy Round 8 defeat to French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja, leaving him bottom of the table on eight points and still unable to halt a worrying run of form since his 2024 world title triumph.

In a remarkable achievement in the elite double round-robin event, Praggnanandhaa became the only player to beat Carlsen twice in classical games this year, underlining his growing stature. With two rounds still to play, the win pushed 20-year-old Praggnanandhaa up to third place on 12 points, with Alireza second on 13 and American GM Wesley So still leading on 14 points after an Armageddon tie-break victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer.