Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa (18) made history by securing his first-ever classical win over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the third round of the Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger on Wednesday, May 29. This remarkable victory catapulted the Indian Grandmaster to the top spot in the open section of the prestigious tournament, held at Carlsen's home turf.

With the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa, last year's FIDE World Cup runner-up, displayed exceptional skill and determination to overcome the formidable Carlsen. Despite facing a daring opening move from the Norwegian champion, Praggnanandhaa remained composed and executed his strategy flawlessly, clinching a crucial three points.

At the end of the third round, Praggnanandhaa accumulated 5.5 points out of 9, securing the lead in the Norway Chess tournament. American Grandmaster Fabio Caruana closely followed in the second position after earning three full points with a win over GM Ding Liren.

Meanwhile, in the women's section, Praggnanandhaa's sister, R Vaishali, maintained her sole lead position with a stellar performance. She secured a draw against GM Anna Muzychuk with the black pieces, further solidifying her position after three rounds.

The tournament, offering a total prize fund of USD 160,000, witnessed intense competition among six players competing against each other twice in classical chess from May 27 to June 7.

In another noteworthy match, GM Hikaru Nakamura defeated GM Alireza Firouzja in Armageddon to retain the third spot in the standings. However, Ding Liren, who is set to compete against GM D Gukesh for the World Championship title later this year, struggled and found himself at the bottom of the table after three rounds.

Praggnanandhaa's historic victory against Carlsen marks a significant milestone in his career, making him only the fourth Indian to defeat Carlsen in classical chess. As the tournament progresses, all eyes remain on the young Grandmaster as he continues to make waves in the world of chess.