Round eight of Norway Chess 2026 in Oslo saw intense competition with Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeating Magnus Carlsen for the second time in the tournament. This victory marked Praggnanandhaa as the second player, after Viswanathan Anand, to beat Carlsen twice in the same event. Alireza Firouzja also secured a crucial win against Gukesh Dommaraju, moving closer to tournament leader Wesley So.
In the final classical game, Wesley So drew with Vincent Keymer but clinched victory in the Armageddon match, maintaining his top position in the standings. So currently leads the Norway Chess standings with 14 points, followed closely by Firouzja with 13 points and Praggnanandhaa with 12 points, setting up a competitive title race for the upcoming rounds.
In the Norway Chess Women’s category, Bibisara Assaubayeva extended her lead by defeating Divya Deshmukh in a significant classical game. Zhu Jiner also secured a notable victory by beating Ju Wenjun. Humpy Koneru emerged victorious in the Armageddon tiebreak, adding to the excitement of the competition.
After Round 8, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the Women’s standings with 15.5 points, followed by Anna Muzychuk with 10.5 points, and a tie between Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner at 10 points each.
