Norway Chess 2026 opens with major upsets

OSLO: Norway Chess 2026 began with an action-packed first round in Oslo, featuring decisive games, tense endgames, and dramatic moments across both tournaments.

The headline result of the day came when Alireza Firouzja defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical chess. Carlsen appeared comfortable for much of the encounter, but in severe time trouble, he made a decisive error that allowed Firouzja to seize the initiative. The French grandmaster converted accurately to score an important victory against the hometown favorite and immediately move into the tournament lead.

Indian No. 2 Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Wesley So produced a hard-fought classical draw in a balanced encounter. Rameshbabu later prevailed in the Armageddon game, securing the extra points with an energetic attacking performance.

World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju faced German No. 1 Vincent Keymer in a fascinating strategic battle. Keymer outplayed the World Champion in the endgame and appeared close to victory. However, Dommaraju demonstrated exceptional defensive resilience and managed to hold the position, saving the game and forcing a draw. Dommaraju later completed the comeback by winning the Armageddon game, securing the valuable extra points.

Following the first round, Firouzja leads the standings after scoring the only classical win of the day.

The Norway Chess Women tournament also opened with fighting chess and an early upset. Bibisara Assaubayeva scored an impressive classical victory against Indian No. 1 Humpy Koneru. Assaubayeva handled the complications confidently and capitalized on her opportunities in the middlegame before converting her advantage with precision. The result gives the Kazakh star an excellent start to the