Indian teenage chess sensation R Praggnanandhaa secured a significant victory over world number one Magnus Carlsen in the classical format of the Norway Chess tournament on Wednesday. Praggnanandhaa's impressive win against Carlsen in Stavanger met with great celebration on social media. The 18-year-old Grandmaster emerged as the sole leader with 5.5 points after defeating Carlsen on white pieces.

“His opening was provocative. I said he wants to fight, because otherwise he could play something solid. I didn’t mind at all. We’ll fight and we’ll see how it goes,” said Praggnanandhaa.

This victory marks Praggnanandhaa's first win against Carlsen in a classical game, with their previous encounters ending in draws, including two in the 2023 World Cup final. Praggnanandhaa has also bested Carlsen in rapid/exhibition games in previous matches. In the upcoming fourth round, Praggnanandhaa is set to face off against Nakamura.

“I’m feeling good. The game was quite interesting. I got a very good position from the opening. I kind of misplayed it at some point. I allowed bishop e3 (20.Bxe3) and f6 (21.f6). I was told later that I still played that position correctly. Maybe I was better throughout the game,” Pragg told journalists in Stavanger after the win.

Praggnanandhaa Net Worth

Born to Rameshbabu, a branch manager at TNSC Bank, and, Nagalakshmi, a homemaker and a strong pillar of support, Praggnanandhaa's tryst with chess began pretty early in his childhood. He began playing chess after being inspired by her elder sister Vaishali Rameshbabu, who is also currently participating in Norway. At the age of 12 years, 10 months, and 13 days, Pragg, as he is lovingly called, became a grandmaster. In 2023, he became the youngest player to reach World Cup final. As per MoneyMint, Pragg as accumulated a net worth of over $1 million, mainly from the prize money, and this is only going to rise exponentially as he reaches greater heights.