Norway Chess 2026 kicked off in Oslo with intense action as Indian chess prodigies R Praggnanandhaa and World Champion D Gukesh secured thrilling Armageddon wins following drawn classical games. Praggnanandhaa displayed an aggressive style to defeat Wesley So in the tiebreaker, while Gukesh made a remarkable comeback against Vincent Keymer after a challenging classical match.
The standout moment of the tournament’s opening round was Alireza Firouzja’s surprising victory over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical chess, marking a rare defeat for the Norwegian star on home turf. Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So engaged in a balanced classical game that ended in a draw, but the Indian Grandmaster’s dynamic play in the Armageddon decider earned him bonus points.
In another gripping encounter, Gukesh faced off against Germany’s Vincent Keymer in a strategic battle that almost slipped away from the Indian player. Despite Keymer’s dominance in the endgame, Gukesh’s strong defensive skills secured a draw. Gukesh then capitalized on this momentum in the Armageddon round to clinch victory.
Firouzja’s triumph over Carlsen was the highlight of the day, with the French Grandmaster capitalizing on Carlsen’s time trouble to secure the only classical win in the open section. The Women’s tournament saw reigning champion Ju Wenjun and Divya Deshmukh settling for a draw after a tense match, with Divya impressing in the Armageddon tiebreak.
Bibisara Assaubayeva delivered a notable performance by defeating Indian No. 1 Koneru Humpy in classical chess, showcasing her confidence in handling mid-game complexities. The round concluded with Firouzja leading the open section and Assaubayeva topping the women’s standings after the first round.
