D Gukesh Secures First Classical Victory at Norway Chess 2026
Gukesh Triumphs Over Praggnanandhaa
In a thrilling encounter at the Norway Chess 2026, World Champion D Gukesh achieved his inaugural classical victory by defeating fellow Indian player R Praggnanandhaa in Round 5. This win propelled Gukesh to third place in the standings, while Praggnanandhaa fell to fourth. Gukesh executed a checkmate after 47 moves, leading Praggnanandhaa to concede defeat. Prior to this match, Gukesh had not secured any classical wins in the tournament, making this victory particularly significant for him. Earlier in the event, he had triumphed over Vincent Keymer in Round 1 through an Armageddon tie-break.
World Champion Gukesh beats Pragg with a BEAUTIFUL sequence 🤩 #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/xegYDIENft
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 30, 2026
Round five was filled with excitement, featuring three classical victories for players with black pieces and just one draw. Alireza Firouzja, leading the tournament with two wins and three draws, including two Armageddon victories, maintained his strong performance. Although he missed an opportunity against Vincent Keymer in the classical match, he secured a win in Armageddon, further extending his lead. Wesley So, currently in second place, also had a remarkable day, defeating five-time champion Magnus Carlsen, who has had a disappointing season, now sitting at the bottom of the table after losing three out of five games.
Current Standings
Points Table
| Player | Wins | Losses | Armageddon wins | Draws | Points |
| Alireza Firouzja | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Wesley So | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8.5 |
| D Gukesh | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6.5 |
| R. Praggnanandhaa | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Vincent Keymer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Magnus Carlsen | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 |
Divya Deshmukh's Stellar Performance
Divya Continues To Shine At Norway Chess
Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh has been performing exceptionally well at Norway Chess, maintaining her lead after a draw against Zhu Jiner from China in Round 5. Bibisara Assaubayeva also drew her match against Anna Muzychuk, who later won in Armageddon. Divya's draw against Zhu Jiner solidified her position at the top with five points, while Bibisara follows in second with 8.0 points. Anna Muzychuk is in third place with seven points, and Zhu Jiner is fourth with 5.5 points. The reigning Women's World Champion, Ju Wenjun, is currently fifth with five points, while veteran Indian GM Koneru Humpy is at the bottom with 4.5 points.