Norway Chess 2026: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa lose; Divya Deshmukh defeats Humpy Koneru
(Courtesy :Â Michal Walusza/Norway Chess 2026)
Alireza Firouzja extended his lead in the standings after scoring back-to-back classical wins
Round two of Norway Chess 2026 once again delivered tense battles and fighting chess in Oslo. The only decisive classical game of the day came when Alireza Firouzja defeated Indian star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a complex struggle.
Firouzja gradually increased the pressure out of the middlegame and converted his advantage with confident play to secure his second consecutive classical victory of the tournament.
The highly anticipated clash between World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and German No. 1 Vincent Keymer ended in a draw after a fascinating battle.
Carlsen appeared to be pressing for much of the game and entered the endgame with a small advantage. However, Keymer defended tenaciously from a difficult position and managed to hold the draw. Carlsen later prevailed in the Armageddon game to secure the extra points.
The remaining classical game between Wesley So and World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju also ended in a hard-fought draw after a long strategic battle. Wesley So went on to win the Armageddon game, collecting the additional points.
Following the second round, Firouzja extended his lead in the standings after scoring back-to-back classical wins.
Assaubayeva keeps lead at Norway Chess Women
Another closely contested round unfolded at Norway Chess Women, where all three classical games ended in draws before being decided in Armageddon.
Tournament leader Bibisara Assaubayeva continued her strong start by defeating Zhu Jiner in Armageddon after a tense and complicated classical game. The Kazakh grandmaster handled the faster time control confidently to collect the extra points.
In an all-Indian clash, Divya Deshmukh secured an Armageddon victory against Humpy Koneru after their classical game ended in a balanced draw.
In the remaining matchup, Anna Muzychuk defeated reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon to earn the additional points.
After round two, Assaubayeva remains in the lead at Norway Chess Women following another successful day.
Who leads the standings after round 2 at Norway Chess 2026?
Alireza Firouzja leads the men’s standings with 6 points while Bibisara Assaubayeva is atop the women’s standings with 4.5 points.
How did Indian chess players perform in round 2 of Norway Chess?
Divya Deshmukh continued her strong run by defeating compatriot Humpy Koneru in the Armageddon game. However, Pragg and Gukesh suffered defeats, with the former losing in classical game against Alireza Firouzja.
Who is the highest-ranked Indian in the standings at Norway Chess 2026?
Gukesh is at shared third position with 2.5 points in the men’s standings while Divya is placed second (3) in the women’s table.
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Alex graduated in mass communication in 2016 and has been covering global sports for Khel Now since then. He is covering sports tech, igaming, sports betting and casino domain from 2017.