Norway Chess: Praggnanandhaa defeats Carlsen in Round 8 to move one point behind Firouzja

OSLO: Star Indian chess player Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu’s 3-0 victory over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen headlined Round 8 of Norway Chess 2026, while Gukesh Dommaraju faced a 0-3 loss to Alireza Firouzja. Notably, Praggnanandhaa’s win takes him just one point short of Alireza Firouzja, who is positioned second on the Norway Chess points table.

Praggnanandhaa delivered a major result by defeating Carlsen with the black pieces, according to the Norway Chess website. The contest remained evenly poised deep into the endgame before the Norwegian ran into serious time pressure. Praggnanandhaa capitalised on the opportunity and converted the advantage, strengthening his position in the title race.

Magnus walks his king into a forced checkmate and falls to a second classical loss against Praggnanandhaa in this tournament, his fourth loss overall!https://t.co/iPphAhoVcu#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/EDVwXBhOLm

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 2, 2026

In another major bout, Alireza Firouzja secured a key classical win over World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Playing with the white pieces, Firouzja handled a tense endgame and held his nerve during mutual time pressure to convert a crucial victory. The result brings him within a point of tournament leader Wesley So.

The game between Wesley So and Vincent Keymer ended in a 1.5-1 draw after a closely contested classical battle. So went on to win the Armageddon tiebreak, earning the additional points and retaining his position at the top of the standings.

After Round 8, Wesley So leads Norway Chess with 14 points. Alireza Firouzja follows with 13 points, while Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu is close behind with 12 points. Carlsen is positioned fifth with nine points to his name, while Gukes stands sixth with eight points.

The Women’s Norway Chess event featured two decisive classical games and one Armageddon tiebreak, with Bibisara Assaubayeva extending her lead at the top of the standings. Assaubayeva recorded an important 3-0 win over Divya Deshmukh. Playing with the black pieces, the tournament leader remained solid under pressure and capitalised as Divya ran short of time, converting her advantage into a full three points.

Zhu Jiner also secured a 3-0 victory, defeating reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. Zhu maintained steady pressure through the endgame and broke through in the final phase, moving level with Divya Deshmukh in the standings, both on 10 points.

The clash between Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru ended in a draw in the classical game. Their Armageddon tiebreak was also drawn, but Koneru ultimately prevailed with the black pieces under Armageddon rules to secure the bonus points.

After Round 8, Assaubayeva leads the Women’s Norway Chess standings with 15.5 points, followed by Muzychuk on 10.5, while Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner are tied on 10 points each. (ANI)