Praggnanandhaa wins Norway Chess 2025, first Indian to claim title
Synopsis
Ranked last after round six, Praggnanandhaa won four games in a row — including two against World No. 1 Carlsen — to become the first Indian to win Norway Chess. The $100,000 title triumph in Stavanger is the most dramatic comeback in Super Tournament history and a landmark moment for Indian chess.
Key Takeaways
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu won the Norway Chess 2025 title on 6 June in Stavanger , becoming the first Indian to do so.
He defeated Vincent Keymer of Germany in the 10th and final round , sealing victory on move 45 .
Praggnanandhaa finished with 18 points , one point ahead of runner-up Wesley So (17 points).
He was placed last after round six before winning four consecutive games, including twice against Magnus Carlsen .
The prize for winning the title was $100,000 ; the winning streak was the first such run at Norway Chess since Carlsen's in 2021 .
Compatriot and reigning Classical World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju finished sixth with eight points .
Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu scripted the greatest comeback in Super Tournament history on Friday, 6 June, becoming the first Indian to win the Norway Chess championship. The 20-year-old from Chennai defeated Germany's Vincent Keymer in the 10th and final round of the classical event in Stavanger, Norway, clinching the title and the top prize of $100,000.
How the Final Round Unfolded
Praggnanandhaa, playing with the white pieces, capitalised on Keymer's middle-game errors to seal the win on move 45. Simultaneously, overnight leader Wesley So of the United States agreed to an early draw with Alireza Firouzja, handing Pragg the opening he needed. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen defeated reigning Classical World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the same round to close his home tournament on a winning note.
Final Standings and Scoring
Praggnanandhaa finished with 18 points — five wins, two losses, and two draws, both of which he converted via the Armageddon tiebreak. He ended a point ahead of Wesley So, who concluded with 17 points from two wins and eight draws, winning six of those in Armageddon. Firouzja took third place with 15.5 points.
The tournament uses a special scoring format: a classical win fetches three points, a draw awards one point to each player, with an additional bonus point available to the winner of the Armageddon game. Magnus Carlsen, who lost twice to Praggnanandhaa during the event, ended fourth with 13 points. Keymer finished fifth with 11 points, while Gukesh ended last with eight points from one win, five defeats, and four draws.
The Comeback That Defined the Tournament
Praggnanandhaa's triumph is all the more remarkable given where he stood after the sixth round — dead last in a six-player field. He then reeled off four consecutive wins, including a second victory over Carlsen and a penultimate-round win over compatriot Gukesh, to storm into title contention. It was the first four-game winning streak at Norway Chess since Carlsen's run in 2021.
The Chennai prodigy had slipped to World No. 16 in the rankings released on 1 June, making his Stavanger performance a statement of intent at the highest level of the game.
Historic Significance for Indian Chess
This is the first time an Indian player has won the Norway Chess title, one of the most prestigious invitational events on the classical chess calendar. It comes at a time of extraordinary depth in Indian chess — with Gukesh holding the Classical World Championship crown and Praggnanandhaa now a Super Tournament winner. Notably, both Indians competed in the same six-player field, underlining the country's emergence as a dominant force in world chess.
Point of View
With one winning the title outright, reflects a depth of talent that no other country outside Norway can currently match at this level. The comeback from last place also exposes a persistent vulnerability in round-robin Super Tournaments: a slow start is recoverable if the field is closely matched. What this result does not yet resolve is Praggnanandhaa's ranking trajectory — he entered the event at World No. 16, and a single tournament win, however dramatic, does not automatically restore him to the top five. The real test is consistency across the full classical calendar, where Gukesh currently holds the crown and Carlsen remains the gravitational centre.
NationPress
9 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won Norway Chess 2025?
Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu of India won Norway Chess 2025, defeating Vincent Keymer of Germany in the final round on 6 June in Stavanger. He finished with 18 points, one ahead of runner-up Wesley So.
Is Praggnanandhaa the first Indian to win Norway Chess?
Yes, Praggnanandhaa is the first Indian player to win the Norway Chess title. The tournament is one of the most prestigious invitational classical events in world chess.
How did Praggnanandhaa complete his comeback?
Praggnanandhaa was in last place after the sixth round before winning four consecutive games, including two victories over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen. It was the first such winning streak at Norway Chess since Carlsen's own run in 2021.
What is the prize money for winning Norway Chess 2025?
The winner's prize at Norway Chess 2025 was $100,000, which Praggnanandhaa claimed along with the title after his final-round victory over Keymer.
How did Gukesh Dommaraju perform at Norway Chess 2025?
Reigning Classical World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju finished sixth and last in the six-player field with eight points, from one win, five defeats, and four draws. He also won two Armageddon tiebreak games.
