Rameshbabu Wins Over World Champion Carlsen

Chennai, Feb 21: India’s young chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa on Monday stunned world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the eighth round of the Airthings Masters.

Praggnanandhaa won with black pieces in 39 moves. Reigning five-time world champion Carlsen had racked up three wins in a row but he blundered against the 16-year-old Indian.

It was the Indian’s first win in any form of chess against the Norwegian and came after three losses in a row. Praggnanandhaa became the third Indian to defeat Carlsen after Vishwanathan Anand and Pentala Harikrishna.

Asked what he would do to celebrate his win, Pragg said: “I think it’s about just going to bed.”