Norway Chess 2024: Vaishali Rameshbabu Beats Muzychuk, Praggnanandhaa Loses to World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen after Round 8 – Indian Players Among Top Contenders

05 June 2024

While we Indians were engrossed in the drama of the general elections and the thrilling start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup—bringing global cricket fever and the excitement of the first major ICC event featuring matches in the United States—another significant sporting event quietly unfolded, yet sadly lacked the spotlight it deserved.

Enter Norway Chess, one of the world's most prestigious chess tournaments, held annually in Stavanger, Norway. This year’s edition, running from May 27 to June 7, gathered the global chess elite for a series of intense battles. Revered as the "Wimbledon of Chess" by the legendary Garry Kasparov, this tournament is a highlight for many top players.

The 2024 edition featured two separate tournaments with the same format and equal prize money, marking the first time it hosted a parallel women’s tournament. The double round-robin format saw six top players in each category compete fiercely. A classical game win earns 3 points, a loss earns 0 points, and a draw leads to an Armageddon decider, with the winner gaining 1.5 points and the loser 1 point.

The stellar line-up included:

Men’s Tournament:

• Magnus Carlsen (Norway), World No. 1

• Fabiano Caruana (USA), World No. 2

• Hikaru Nakamura (USA), World No. 3

• Ding Liren (China), World No. 7

• Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (India), World No. 14

• Alireza Firouzja (France), World No. 16

Women’s Tournament:

• Ju Wenjun (China), World No. 2

• Lei Tingjie (China), World No. 3

• Koneru Humpy (India), World No. 5

• Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), World No. 8

• Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), World No. 13

• Pia Cramling (Sweden), World No. 28

Three talented youngsters from India graced this elite tournament. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, the world’s youngest player in this tournament, ranked No. 14 with a live rating of 2747, made headlines by being the youngest player to reach the Chess World Cup final. In 2022, he became the third Indian to defeat World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen.

In the women’s category, the intelligentsia of Indian chess, Koneru Humpy, and Vaishali Rameshbabu, represented India in the first-ever women’s tournament at Norway Chess. Humpy, World No. 5 with a live rating of 2545, is renowned for her 2019 World Rapid Championship win and being the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year in 2020. Vaishali, World No. 13 with a live rating of 2489, recently crossed the 2500 Elo rating to earn her Grandmaster title, becoming the third woman Grandmaster in India and receiving the Arjuna Award in 2024.

Interestingly, Vaishali and Praggnanandhaa are siblings—the first-ever brother-sister duo to both earn the Grandmaster title.

After 8 of the 10 rounds, the Norway Chess 2024 standings were as follows:

Men’s Tournament:

• Magnus Carlsen (Norway), World No. 1 - 14.5 points

• Hikaru Nakamura (USA), World No. 3 - 13.5 points

• Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu (India), World No. 14 - 12 points

• Alireza Firouzja (France), World No. 16 - 11 points

• Fabiano Caruana (USA), World No. 2 - 9 points

• Ding Liren (China), World No. 7 - 4.5 points

Women’s Tournament:

• Ju Wenjun (China), World No. 2 - 14.5 points

• Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), World No. 8 - 13 points

• Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), World No. 13 - 11.5 points

• Lei Tingjie (China), World No. 3 - 11.5 points

• Koneru Humpy (India), World No. 5 - 8 points

• Pia Cramling (Sweden), World No. 28 - 5.5 points

Praggnanandhaa lost to World No. 1, Magnus Carlsen in the Armageddon tiebreaker, Grand Master Vaishali ended a two-game losing streak by winning the Armageddon tiebreaker against Anna Muzychuk, while Koneru Humpy, lost to Lei Tingjie in the Classical game.

As we eagerly anticipate the final rounds (09 & 10), the matches are as follows:

Men’s Tournament:

• Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu will play against Fabiano Caruana on June 6 and Hikaru Nakamura on June 7.

Women’s Tournament:

• Vaishali Rameshbabu will face Lei Tingjie and Koneru Humpy will compete against Ju Wenjun on June 6.

• In the final round on June 7, Vaishali will play Pia Cramling, and Humpy will play Anna Muzychuk.

It's high time we extend our support and pride to these young Indian wizards, who silently make us proud on the global stage. Chess, a game with origins tracing back to the ancient Indian strategy game "Chaturanga", deserves more recognition in modern Indian society. As we cheer for our cricket and other popular sports, let’s also rally behind our chess prodigies, ensuring that this ancient game continues to thrive.

As the Norway Chess Tournament nears its climax, let's unite in support of our young stars, Praggnanandhaa, Humpy, and Vaishali. They exemplify the rich heritage and promising future of Indian chess, reminding us that true sportsmanship transcends mere entertainment. Let's cherish and celebrate these silent warriors who bring honor to our nation on the global chessboard.