News from Norway

The fourteenth edition of Norway Chess unfolded from 25 May to 5 June 2026, marking a significant new departure in the event’s history as the tournament was staged for the first time in Oslo. As ever, the organisers assembled a select and formidable cast of grandmasters, headed by the world’s number one, Magnus Carlsen, alongside the reigning World Champion, Gukesh Dommaraju. They were joined by Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and R Praggnanandhaa, creating a compact but immensely powerful field in which every encounter carried the weight of a championship contest. It is a testament to the strength of the Open tournament that the World Champion finished last.

Running concurrently was the third edition of Norway Chess Women, featuring Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun among its distinguished participants. The defending champions entering the event were Magnus Carlsen in the Open section and Anna Muzychuk in the Women’s tournament.

In a competition characterised by relentless tension and uncompromising fighting spirit, it was the young Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa who ultimately emerged victorious in the Open event, adding another notable chapter to his rapidly developing career. Of the women, Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan produced a commanding performance, securing first place with a round still remaining to be played.

Both tournaments followed the established Norway Chess formula: six-player double round-robin events comprising ten rounds, with each participant facing every other competitor twice at classical time controls. The organisers once again employed their distinctive scoring system, one of the most innovative in elite chess. Rather than allowing drawn classical games to stand as the final verdict, players proceeded to an Armageddon playoff whenever the classical encounter ended peacefully.

The classical games were contested with a time control of 120 minutes for the entire game, supplemented by a ten-second increment from move 41 onwards. The Armageddon contests provided White with ten minutes and Black with seven, although Black enjoyed draw odds as compensation for the time deficit. The scoring system reflected the premium placed upon decisive results: a classical victory earned three points, an Armageddon victory one and a half points, an Armageddon defeat one point, and a classical loss no points at all.

The result was a tournament structure designed to reward ambition, discourage excessive caution and ensure that virtually every game carried significance until the very last move.

Open Section: 14th Norway Chess, 25.05.26 – 05.06.26, Oslo, Category XXI (2762.8)

Women’s Section: 3rd Norway Chess, 25.05.26 – 05.06.26, Oslo, Category XII (2531.5)

Three factors stood out in the so called Open section: first of all was the storming finish of the eventual winner, who came from virtually nowhere to score four straight victories , and thus leapfrog to the head of the field. En route he twice defeated Magnus Carlsen.

The second factor was Carlsen’s miserable form. A surfeit of blitz and rapid chess formats, combined with his self imposed exile from classical chess and his otiose resiling from the world title, has left him out of practice, and no longer the feared ogre who terrified his own and older generations. Classical chess time limits allow more time for thinking, so the quasi infinite resourcefulness which Magnus can habitually channel into more hectic formats is no longer so daunting for younger generations.

Thirdly and finally was the appalling form of the ersatz World Champion Gukesh, who has now lost around the same number of games in one year as champion, as, for example, Tigran Petrosian did during his entire tenure as champion from 1963-1969. These six years included three world championship matches against such opposition as the titans Botvinnik and Spassky.

Carlsen’s resignation of the world title has thus been exposed, not just as a disaster for himself but also for the status of the world championship. If previous world champions stood on the shoulders of giants, the current imposters can be dismissed as dwarves standing on the shoulders of dwarves.

Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa vs. Magnus Carlsen

Norway Chess, Oslo, 2026, round 3

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. h4 h6 7. Bc4 e6 8. a3 Nc6 9. Be3 Bd7 10. Ba2 Be7 11. Qe2 h5 12. f3 Ne5 13. O-O-O Rc8 14. Bg5 Rxc3

This interesting exchange sacrifice opens white’s queenside defence.

15. bxc3 Qa5 16. Kb1 Qxa3 17. f4 Neg4?!

This slight inaccuracy generates a telling initiative for white. Instead, black has the following line, 17… Nc6 18. Rh3 O-O 19. Rhd3 e5 20. Nf3 Bg4 21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. f5 Rc8 23. Qe3, which keeps both sides in contention.

18. e5 dxe5 19. fxe5 Nh7 20. Qd2 Nf8 21. Nf3 Qc5 22. Bxe7 Qxe7 23. Ng5 Ng6 24. Ne4 N6xe5 25. Nd6+ Kf8 26. Rhf1 Nf6 27. Qd4 Neg4 28. Nxb7?!

Having built a healthy momentum, this move and white’s next, invites black back into the contest. After, 28. Qb6 g6 29. Bb3 Kg7 30. Qxb7 Rd8 31. c4 a5 32. Rd2 Qf8 33. Ka1 Kg8 34. c5 Rb8 35. Qf3, white is able to mobilise his better pieces and space advantage.

28… Bb5 29. Qd8+?!

This invitation to exchange queens offers black an opportunity to equalise fully.

29… Ne8?!

A missed opportunity. After, 29… Qxd8 30. Rxd8+ Ke7 31. Rxh8 Bxf1, white has no discernible advantage remaining.

30. Qxe7+ Kxe7 31. c4 Ba4 32. Rd8 Bc6 33. Rb8?

Leaving the position more or less level. After 33. Rfd1 Ne5 34. Na5 Bxg2 35. c5 Rg8 36. R1d2 g5 37. Nc4 Nxc4 38. R8d7+ Kf8 39. Rxg2, white has built an powerful attack.

33… Bxg2 34. Rg1 Bf3 35. Rg3?!

Handing black equality. Necessary was 35. c5 Rf8 36. Nd6 Nc7 37. Rxf8 Kxf8 38. Rf1 Ne5 39. Nc4 Nxc4 40. Bxc4 Bg4, when white keeps a small but essential lead.

35… Ne5 36. c5?!

Both 36. Na5 or Nc5 are preferable.

36… g5 37. Nd6??

And this bad error gifts black a considerable and unexpected advantage, when 37. hxg5 h4 38. Rh3 Rh5 39. Nd6 Nxd6 40. cxd6+ Kxd6 41. Rb6+ Bc6 42. Rxa6 at least maintains parity.

37… g4 38. Nc8+ Kf6 39. Nd6 Nxd6?

Throwing much of his advantage away. Much better are either 39… Ke7 or …Bc6.

40. Rxh8 Ne4 41. Rg1 Nc3+ 42. Kb2 Ne2 43. Rf1

The next three moves transform the game chances.

43… g3??

An awful miscalculation, handing white a considerable advantage, whereas both 43… Nf4 and …Ng3 maintain equality.

44. c6??

But this overeagerness hands back that equality anyway. 44. Rg8! Ke7 45. Rxf3 Nxf3 46. Bc4 Nf4 47. Rxg3 Nxh4 48. Ra3 leaves white much the better positioned.

44… Kg7??

But in a strangely lemming mode, black capitulates with the final blunder of a nervous and error-strewn game. Full equality was available after 44… g2 45. Rxf3+ Kg7 46. Rxh5 Nxf3 47. c7 g1=Q 48. c8=Q.

45. c7 Bb7 46. Rb8 g2 Black resigns 1-0

Without waiting for 47. Rd1 after which, black will face an insurmountable material deficit.

Magnus Carlsen vs. Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa

Norway Chess, Oslo, 2026, round 8

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5

Carlsen now opts for Nimzowitsch’s favourite against the French.

3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Nh6 6. Na3 cxd4 7. cxd4 f6 8. exf6 Qxf6 9. Bd3 Bb4+ 10. Bd2 Bxa3 11. bxa3 Nxd4 12. Nxd4 Qxd4 13. Bxh6 Qc3+ 14. Kf1 gxh6 15. Rc1 Qe5 16. g3 Bd7 17. Kg2 O-O 18. Re1 Qg7 19. Rc7 Rf7 20. f4 Raf8 21. Kh1 Be8 22. Rxf7 Bxf7 23. Qc2 Bh5 24. Kg2 Rxf4 25. Qc8+ Rf8 26. Qxe6+ Kh8 27. Rf1 Rxf1 28. Bxf1 Bf7 29. Qc8+ Bg8 30. Qb8 Qb2+ 31. Kh3?! Kg7 32. Qc7+ Bf7 33. Bd3 Qb6?! 34. Qe5+ Qf6 35. Qc7 b6?! 36. a4?! h5 37. a5 Qe6+ 38. Kg2 Qe3 39. axb6 axb6 40. Bc2 h6 41. h4 b5 42. Bb3 Qe4+ 43. Kf2 b4 44. Qd6 Qd4+ 45. Ke2 Qb2+ 46. Kd3 Bg6+ 47. Ke3 Qc3+

A seesaw struggle so far, but with the balance not seriously disturbed.

48. Kf4??

A disastrous oversight.

After the diaspora of disasters from their previous game, both players have exhibited an exemplary demonstration of precision (save for the minor and inconsequential misdemeanours recorded above with ?!). But with one single error, the edifice collapses. Necessary was 48. Ke2 Qd3+ 49. Ke1 Qe3+ 50. Kd1 Qd4+ 51. Ke1 Bd3 52. Qe7+ Kg6 53. Qe6+ Qf6 54. Qe8+ Kg7 55. Qd7+ Qf7 56. Qxf7+ Kxf7 57. Bxd5+ when white remains completely level.

48… Qd4+ 49. Kf3 Qd3+ 50. Kf2 Qd2+ White resigns 0-1

After 51. Kf3, 51… Be5#;

After 51. Kf1, 51… Bd3+ 52. Kg1 Qe1+ 53. Kg2 Be4+ 54. Kh2 Qh1#;

After 51. Kg1, 51… Qe1+ 52. Kh2 Qf2+ 53. Kh3 Bf5+ 54. g4 Bxg4#.

Ray’s 206th book, “ Chess in the Year of the King ”, written in collaboration with Adam Black, and his 207th, “ Napoleon and Goethe: The Touchstone of Genius ” (which discusses their relationship with chess) can be ordered from both Amazon and Blackwell’s. His 208th, the world record for chess books, written jointly with the late chess playing artist, Barry Martin,  Chess through the Looking Glass ,  is now also available from Amazon. 

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