Norway Chess 2026: Praggnanandhaa beats Magnus Carlsen again; Gukesh and Divya suffer Round 8 defeats

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa stunned world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen for the second time in the tournament, while reigning world champion D Gukesh suffered a defeat against Alireza Firouzja in Round 8 of Norway Chess 2026 on Tuesday.

Praggnanandhaa, who had earlier defeated Carlsen with the white pieces, repeated the feat with Black in a remarkable performance, registering his second classical victory over the Norwegian star in the same edition of the tournament. The result further boosted the Indian youngster’s chances in the title race heading into the final rounds.

Advertisement

The 20-year-old became only the second Indian after Viswanathan Anand to beat Carlsen twice in a single tournament. He also entered an exclusive club of players who have defeated the five-time world champion three times in classical chess.

In another key encounter, Firouzja outplayed Gukesh in a hard-fought classical game. The French Grandmaster held his nerve in a tense endgame played under severe time pressure to claim a crucial win, moving within one point of tournament leader Wesley So.

The final classical game between Wesley So and Vincent Keymer ended in a draw. However, So later won in Armageddon, earning extra points and maintaining his lead in the standings.

Following Round 8, Wesley So is at the top of Norway Chess with 14 points. Firouzja is close behind with 13 points, and Praggnanandhaa stays in strong contention with 12 points, making the title race very competitive as the final rounds approach.

Norway Chess Women Round 8 featured two decisive classical games and one Armageddon tiebreaker, with Bibisara Assaubayeva extending her lead. Assaubayeva achieved an important classical victory against Divya Deshmukh. Playing as black, she resisted pressure and gained the advantage as Divya ran low on time, ultimately securing the full point.

Zhu Jiner also achieved a significant classical victory by defeating the reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. She maintained consistent pressure throughout the endgame and converted her advantage in the final phase, tying with Divya Deshmukh on 10 points.

Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru’s game resulted in a classical draw. The Armageddon tiebreak was also closely contested, but Humpy Koneru ultimately won with Black, earning the extra points.

After Round 8, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the Women’s standings with 15.5 points. Anna Muzychuk is next with 10.5 points, and Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner are tied at 10 points each.

(With agency inputs)