Norway Chess 2026 began today in Oslo with Round 1 matches featuring some of the world’s top players in both the open and women’s sections.
In the open category, Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Alireza Firouzja, Vincent Keymer, and Wesley So are competing in a double round‑robin format with Armageddon tiebreaks for drawn classical games.
The women’s section includes Ju Wenjun, Koneru Humpy, Divya Deshmukh, Anna Muzychuk, Zhu Jiner, and Bibisara Assaubayeva, making it one of the strongest female line‑ups in the tournament’s history.
Round 1 pairings saw Firouzja face Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa take on Wesley So, and Gukesh meet Keymer in the open section. In the women’s draw, Muzychuk played Zhu Jiner, Ju Wenjun met Divya Deshmukh, and Koneru Humpy faced Bibisara Assaubayeva.
The tournament runs from May 25 to June 5 at Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, with daily decisive results guaranteed through the Armageddon format.
Fans are particularly anticipating the clashes between Magnus Carlsen and D Gukesh, scheduled for Round 4 and Round 10, which could define the tournament’s narrative.
