Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa kicked off the Norway Chess tournament with a stellar performance, defeating Firouzja Alireza of France in the Armageddon game during the first round.
After a draw in normal time control, Praggnanadhaa seized the advantage in the Armageddon game, clinching victory in the endgame.
The day witnessed all games under classical time control ending in draws, with six Armageddon games deciding the winners in this unique format.
World number one Magnus Carlsen secured draws in both classical games, while Hikaru Nakamura emerged victorious over Fabiano Caruana in the Armageddon.
At the end of the first round, Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen, and Nakamura lead with 1.5 points each, followed closely by Alireza, Liren, and Caruana.
Praggnanandhaa’s victory over Alireza marked his first over-the-board win against the French player, demonstrating his clinical approach and tactical prowess.
In the women’s section, Koneru Humpy secured a draw with black pieces in the Armageddon, while R Vaishali showed resilience but ultimately succumbed to Wenjun Ju’s pressure.
Results from round 1:
Men:
R Praggnanandhaa (Ind, 1.5) defeated Firouzja Alireza (Fra) 1.5-1
Ding Liren (Chn, 1) drew with Magnus Carlsen (1.5) 1-1.5
Fabiano Caruana (Usa, 1) lost to Hikaru Nakamura (Usa, 1.5) 1-1.5
Women:
Pia Cramling (Swe, 1) lost to Koneru Humpy (Ind, 1.5) 1-1.5
Wenjun Ju (Chn, 1.5) defeated R Vaishali (Ind, 1) 1.5-1
Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 1) lost to Tingjie Lei (Chn, 1.5) 1-1.5
