Magnus Carlsen in Awe After R. Praggnanandhaa Creates History by Winning Norway Chess Title: 'Pretty Insane'

Norway Chess 2026: R. Praggnanandhaa staged a remarkable comeback in the final moments of the Norway Chess 2026 tournament to create history and now Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen is in awe of the Indian chess sensation. 

For the unversed, Praggnanandhaa beat Germany's Vincent Keymer in the summit clash in Oslo on Friday. With the win, the Indian grandmaster capped a stunning run of four consecutive classical victories. Just minutes after Praggnanandhaa sealed his stunning comeback win at Norway Chess 2026, the former world champion captured the moment in a brief reaction. 

ALSO READ: HISTORY! Praggnanandhaa Becomes First Indian to Win Norway Chess Title

‘That’s pretty insane!’

“That’s pretty insane! That’s as clutch as it gets, and it just shows that it would have been possible for me as well with a similar finish," Carlsen said after discovering how the Indian had created history.

He added: “But yeah, that’s incredible. It shows you the volatility of the system and he is an incredible fighter and it’s fun to see him get rewarded for that."

It is no secret that Praggnanandhaa is very close to his mother, Nagalakshmi. In fact, Praggnanandhaa went on to reveal how a phone call from her turned out to be prophetic. 

“I was speaking to my mother on June 1, before Alireza’s game, and she was telling me, ‘It’s a new month, you’ll play well!’ It’s just one of those things that mum always says," Praggnanandhaa revealed.

It needs to be noted that he credited part of his late-tournament resurgence to a conversation with his mother before the seventh round.