Norway Chess: Praggnanandhaa falls to Firouzja in round 2, Wesley So defeats Gukesh; Deshmukh beats Humpy in all-Indian clash

OSLO: Alireza Firouzja defeated India’s R Praggnanandhaa 3-0 in round 2 of Norway Chess 2026, while the match between Wesley So and D Gukesh was drawn, with So taking the Armageddon win, as per a press release from Norway Chess. In an all-Indian women’s clash, Divya Deshmukh registered an Armageddon win over Koneru Humpy.

In a complex battle, Alireza Firouzja steadily built pressure in the middlegame against R Praggnanandhaa and eventually converted his advantage with precise play to secure his second consecutive classical win of the tournament.

The game between Wesley So and World Champion D Gukesh ended in a hard-fought draw in classical time control after a long strategic struggle. However, So went on to win the Armageddon tie-break, securing the additional points.

The clash between Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer also ended in a draw, with Carlsen holding a slight advantage in the endgame but Keymer defending well to save the game. Carlsen then won the Armageddon tie-break to take the extra points.

In an all-Indian encounter, Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw. In the other match, Anna Muzychuk overcame reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon to take the extra points.

Following the second round, Firouzja extended his lead in the standings after scoring back-to-back classical wins. He’s now atop the table with six points to his name, with Gukesh at the second spot with 2.5 points to his name, following two draws and an Armageddon win.

In the women’s rankings, Assaubayeva keeps the lead with 4.5 points against her name after one win and an Armageddon win as well.

Earlier in round 1, Firouzja defeated Carlsen, and Gukesh secured an Armageddon win over Vincent Keymer. Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, also clinched an Armageddon win over Wesley So.

In the Women’s event, Assaubayeva had emerged as the winner after defeating Koneru Humpy, while Divya Deshmukh defeated Ju Wenjun in Armageddon. (ANI)