Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu secured a crucial victory over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in the Norway Chess tournament, moving him just half a point behind leader Wesley So. Meanwhile, Wesley So drew with Magnus Carlsen but clinched victory in the Armageddon game, maintaining his lead in the title race.
Alireza Firouzja also stayed competitive by winning his Armageddon game after a tough classical match against Vincent Keymer. With Wesley So leading with 15.5 points, Praggnanandhaa closely follows with 15 points, and Firouzja is not far behind at 14.5 points.
In the women’s section, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with one round to go. Assaubayeva’s draw in the classical game followed by a win in the Armageddon game made her lead insurmountable. Zhu Jiner’s victory over Divya Deshmukh moved her to second place, while Anna Muzychuk stands third.
Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun settled for a draw in their classical game, with Ju Wenjun winning the subsequent Armageddon game. Assaubayeva leads the Norway Chess Women competition with 16.5 points, followed by Zhu Jiner with 13 points and Anna Muzychuk with 12 points.
