Praggnanandhaa wins Norway Chess 2026 after finalround classical victory
June 6, Oslo – Norway Chess 2026 concluded in Oslo on Friday with a dramatic final round, as PraggnanandhaaRameshbabu delivered a decisive classical victory to claim the title. Entering the round half a point behind Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa knew that a victory would put him in a strong position to overtake the leader. Facing Vincent Keymer with the white pieces, the Indian grandmaster made the most of his opportunity and converted a crucial win.
Credit: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza or Norway Chess / Signator
The full 3 points lifted Praggnanandhaa to 18 points and secured first place. Wesley So, who had led the tournament heading into the final day, drew his classical game against Alireza Firouzja after a balanced encounter. So later prevailed in the Armageddon game, collecting the extra points. Firouzja finishes third after a strong tournament in Oslo. The remaining game between World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and World Champion GukeshDommaraju ended with a classical win for Carlsen. The Norwegian star kept pushing in a long battle and finished the event on a winning note. After Round 10, PraggnanandhaaRameshbabu wins Norway Chess 2026 with 18 points.
Credit: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza or Norway Chess / Signator
Wesley So finishes second with 17 points, while Alireza Firouzja takes third place with 15.5 points. Assaubayeva wins Norway Chess Women BibisaraAssaubayeva had already secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with one round to spare, and the final day confirmed her place at the top after an outstanding tournament in Oslo. The final round produced three decisive classical games, with no Armageddon deciders needed in Norway Chess Women. Reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun defeated Assaubayeva with the white pieces, ending the champion’s unbeaten classical run in the final round. Zhu Jiner finished her tournament with an important classical victory over Humpy Koneru. The result secured Zhu the second place, just half a point behind Assaubayeva.
Anna Muzychuk also ended strongly, defeating Divya Deshmukh in classical chess to finish third. After Round 10, BibisaraAssaubayeva wins Norway Chess Women 2026 with 16.5 points. Zhu Jiner finishes second with 16 points, while Anna Muzychuk takes third place with 15 points.
About Norway Chess:
Norway Chess 2026 brings together the world’s elite chess players for a supertournament held from May 25th to June 5th in Oslo, Norway. The event proudly features two elite tournaments running in parallel: the renowned Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Both tournaments follow a 6-player double round-robin format with equal prize funds, highlighting a strong commitment to gender equality in chess. A signature of Norway Chess is its distinctive format. When a classical game ends in a draw, an Armageddon game determines the winner, ensuring decisive results in every round.
