Norway Chess 2026: Praggnanandhaa defeats Gukesh as title race goes to final round; Assaubayeva wins women’s crown

They are friends disconnected the committee but rivals erstwhile they beryllium crossed each different for a game; they acceptable the camaraderie speech and absorption connected winning. When R. Praggnanandhaa and D. Gukesh faced disconnected successful the ninth and penultimate circular of Norway Chess connected Thursday (June 4, 2026) with a batch connected the enactment but it was the erstwhile who won with achromatic successful 34 moves to roar backmost into rubric contention.

Feels bully to bushed Carlsen but his aura is not waning: Praggnanandhaa

Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva, meanwhile, sewed up the rubric with a circular to spare, contempt losing to the defending champion Anna Muzychuk successful the Armageddon astatine Deichman Bjorvika successful Oslo.

Praggnanandhaa’s resilience was connected show arsenic helium overcame the vantage held by the World champion to propulsion disconnected a important triumph to instrumentality him to 15 points, conscionable half-a-point down person Wesley So, who edged retired Magnus Carlsen successful the Armageddon.

“I’m rather arrogant astir this game, honestly, due to the fact that this is however I usually suffer to him. He does immoderate weird, originative stuff, I extremity up overthinking and someway doing thing myself and losing. So I thought I managed my clip good and I was besides calculating well,” Praggnanandhaa said aft posting his 3rd triumph connected the trot.

“Three days back, I was warring for the past spot. And present I person a accidental astatine fighting, truthful I’ll instrumentality it,” helium said astir the alteration successful fortunes for him aft having languished successful the past spot and bouncing backmost with a trio of victories.

He is slated to instrumentality connected German Vincent Keymer successful the 10th and last circular and the scramble for the rubric is acceptable to beryllium absorbing arsenic So meets Alireza Firouzja. All the 3 - Praggnanandhaa, So and Firouzja - are successful contention for the apical prize and an absorbing last circular is successful the offing.

Meanwhile, World No. 1 Carlsen and Gukesh would beryllium progressive successful a conflict to debar the woody spoon.

Divya, Humpy endure defeats

The women’s lawsuit saw Assaubayeva participate the ninth circular knowing that a gully successful the classical crippled could guarantee the apical spot for her. The crippled with Muzychuk ended successful a speedy gully and the Kazakh went down successful the Armageddon.

“During the Candidates I had a batch of stress. At immoderate infinitesimal I felt similar I conscionable privation to discontinue chess, due to the fact that it’s excessively overmuch for me, Assaubayeva said aft winning the Norway Chess rubric successful her maiden attempt.

The 2 Indians successful the fray, Divya Deshmukh and Koneru Humpy, suffered defeats. Divya mislaid to Zhu Jiner, slipping up nether clip pressure, allowing the Chinese to emergence to 3rd connected the leaderboard.

Humpy faltered, yet again successful the Armageddon against World champion Ju Wenjun to stay successful the past spot.

Results aft Round 9:

Open: Vincent Keymer (Ger, 11) mislaid to Alireza Firouzja (Fra, 14.5) successful Armageddon, Wesley So (USA, 15.5) bt Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 10) successful Armageddon, D. Gukesh (8) mislaid to R. Praggnanandhaa (15) successful Armageddon.

Women: Divya Deshmukh (10) mislaid to Zhu Jiner (Chn, 10.5), Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 16.5) bt Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 12) successful Armageddon, Koneru Humpy (9) mislaid to Ju Wenjun (Chn, 10.5) successful Armageddon.

(The writer is successful Oslo astatine the invitation of Norway Chess.)