How much prize money did R Praggnanandhaa win after his historic Norwegian chess triumph?

R Praggnanandhaa (photo by Michal Walusza for Norwegian Chess) R Praggnanandhaa made history by becoming the first ever Indian to win the prestigious Norwegian chess title. The 20-year-old grandmaster completed a remarkable comeback in the final round, defeating Germany’s Vincent Keymer to secure the championship and write his name in tournament history.In the final round, Praggnanandhaa trailed American Grandmaster Wesley So in the standings. He thus led the tournament with 15.5 points, while the Indian star was second with 15 points. To claim the trophy, Praggnanandhaa needed to beat Keymer and hope So lost points against France’s Alirez Firouz.The results went perfectly in his favor.

How much money did Praggnanandhaa win?

For winning Norwegian Chess 2026, Praggnanandhaa will get NOK 700,000, which translates to around Rs 70.5 lakh.The tournament featured a total prize pool of NOK 1.69 million, divided among the six participants based on their final placing.Norwegian Chess 2026 Prize Money Distribution1st place: NOK 700,0002nd place: NOK 350,0003rd place: NOK 200,0004th place: NOK 170,0005th place: NOK 150,0006th place: NOK 120,000According to the rules of the tournament, the prizes are divided between the players who finish with the same score. However, this rule does not apply to the first place. In the event of a championship tie, a playoff or tiebreak between the two rounds would be used to determine the winner.

How Praggnanandhaa sealed the title

The title-clinching victory came in a dynamic Queen’s Gambit Declined against Vincent Keymer. Praggnanandhaa gradually took control of the game before launching a decisive king attack.Key moments included the aggressive 33.f5 and the powerful 38.Ne6+, which exposed the black king and paved the way for a winning rook finish. The win gave the Indian grandmaster three crucial points and kept his title hopes alive.Meanwhile, Wesley So and Alireza Firouzja played out a classic draw in their final round encounter. This result proved to be enough to give Praggnanandhaa the title without requiring an Armageddon tiebreak.