Norway Chess 2026: Firouzja and Assaubayeva Shine in Intense Second Round
High-Stakes Matches at Norway Chess
File image of veteran chess player R Praggnanandhaa(Photo: @narangnitin/X)
Oslo, May 27: The second round of Norway Chess has delivered thrilling encounters, with Alireza Firouzja taking the lead after securing his second consecutive classical victory.
In a highly strategic match, Firouzja achieved the only decisive result of the day by defeating Indian prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.
From the middlegame onward, the French chess star gradually established control, turning a positional advantage into a solid win through effective endgame play.
This victory places Firouzja at the top of the leaderboard after just two rounds, highlighting his impressive performance in this prestigious tournament.
Meanwhile, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen faced a challenging match against Germany’s Vincent Keymer, ultimately winning in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw. Carlsen had a slight edge during the endgame, but Keymer's resilient defense forced the tie before Carlsen clinched the win in the tiebreaker.
In another classical match, reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and American grandmaster Wesley So battled to a tense draw, with So later winning in Armageddon to earn extra points.
In the Women’s section, all three classical games concluded in draws, leading to intense Armageddon tiebreaks. Kazakh player Bibisara Assaubayeva maintained her lead by defeating China’s Zhu Jiner in the tiebreak after a complicated classical game.
An exciting all-Indian match featured Divya Deshmukh and veteran grandmaster Koneru Humpy, where Divya emerged victorious in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
Additionally, Ukrainian grandmaster Anna Muzychuk triumphed over reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon following a closely contested classical game.
As the tournament progresses, Firouzja and Assaubayeva are the standout players in Oslo, with Norway Chess 2026 continuing to deliver high-level competition and thrilling finishes.