Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 20, made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Norway Chess 2026, defeating Magnus Carlsen twice and overcoming a mid-tournament slump.
Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 20, made history by winning Norway Chess 2026, becoming the first Indian to do so. He achieved a remarkable comeback from the bottom of the standings, including two classical victories over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.
Indian chess stars Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Divya Deshmukh suffered significant classical defeats in the reverse fixtures of Norway Chess. Magnus Carlsen returned to winning ways, while Koneru Humpy's struggles continued.
Eight-year-old Tamizh Amudhan from Tamil Nadu defeated World No. 7 grandmaster Vincent Keymer (Elo 2759) in the first round of an online Freestyle Friday blitz tournament. Playing in darkness during a power cut in Thiruthangal near Sivakasi, the young prodigy used candlelight and his father's mobile hotspot to compete, eventually winning three of five rounds before his laptop battery died. Tamizh, currently World No. 1 in the Under-9 category, trains at Hatsun Chess Academy after his family relocated 350 km from Kallakurichi.
Eight-year-old Tamizh Amudhan, World No. 1 in the under-9 category, defeated World No. 7 Vincent Keymer (ELO 2759) during the opening round of the Freestyle Friday online chess championship. Playing in Thiruthangal, Sivakasi, the young prodigy managed the victory despite a power outage caused by heavy rain, using only a candle and mobile phone torch to light his laptop. With just 48% battery, he played four more rounds winning two before his laptop died. Tamizh, who became the youngest player to cross 2000+ Elo rating in February, trains at Hatsun Chess Academy.
In this exclusive interview, Vincent Keymer reflected on his rise from winning the Grenke Open at 13 to claiming the Grenke Freestyle 2026 title in Karlsruhe. Germany’s No. 1 spoke about freestyle chess relying more on intuition, handling the “intimidation factor” of Magnus Carlsen, and balancing school with chess while growing up in a family of musicians. Keymer also praised coach Péter Lékó and discussed the challenges young chess players face in Germany compared to countries like India.
Vincent Keymer, Germany's top chess player, reflects on his recent Grenke Freestyle 2026 victory, his approach to the Chess960 format, and the influence of his coach, Péter Lékó, on his professional development.
