Indian chess grandmaster Karthikeyan Murali becomes the third player to beat Magnus Carlsen in classical chess

In a remarkable chess achievement, the 24-year-old Indian chess grandmaster, Karthikeyan Murali, pulled off a stunning victory against the world's number one player, Magnus Carlsen. Karthikeyan's conquest in the classical chess format during the ongoing Qatar Masters marked only the third instance when an Indian player emerged triumphant against Carlsen.

Karthikeyan's historic win took place in the seventh round of the tournament, where he expertly handled the black pieces. This remarkable victory elevated him to the company of other prominent players, including SL Narayan, Javokhir Sindarov, David Paravyan, Arjun Erigaisi, and Nodirbek Yakubboev, all of whom boasted an impressive score of 5.5 out of 7.

Hailing from Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, and a two-time national chess champion, Karthikeyan demonstrated flawless gameplay and adeptly bounced back from a draw against Parham Maghsoodloo of Iran in the tournament's sixth round.

Karthikeyan Murali now joins an exclusive club as the third Indian chess player to defeat Magnus Carlsen in a classical game. This achievement places him alongside Pentala Harikrishna, who overcame Carlsen in 2005 when Carlsen was just 14 years old, and Viswanathan Anand, the only other Indian player to have bested Carlsen.