&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Norway Chess 2026: Praggnanandhaa beats Magnus Carlsen again! Firouzja defeats Gukesh as title race heats up")
Round 8 of Norway Chess 2026 proved to be a defining day in Oslo, with two decisive classical victories and one Armageddon showdown reshaping the battle for the championship. Alireza Firouzja secured a crucial classical win against World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Playing with the white pieces, Firouzja successfully navigated a tense endgame amid severe time pressure from both players, converting his advantage and moving within a single point of tournament leader Wesley So.
Meanwhile, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu delivered another remarkable performance by defeating Magnus Carlsen for the second time in the tournament. The 20-year-old Indian grandmaster, who had previously beaten Carlsen with the white pieces earlier in the event, repeated the feat with the black pieces in Round 8, significantly tightening the title race.
With this achievement, Praggnanandhaa became only the second player, after India’s chess icon Viswanathan Anand, to defeat Carlsen twice in the same tournament. He also joined an elite group of players who have beaten the five-time World Champion three times in classical chess. The remaining classical encounter between Wesley So and Vincent Keymer ended in a draw.
However, So emerged victorious in the Armageddon tiebreak, earning additional points and maintaining his lead at the top of the
standings. Following Round 8, Wesley So leads Norway Chess 2026 with 14 points. Firouzja sits just behind on 13 points, while Praggnanandhaa remains firmly in contention with 12 points heading into the final rounds.
Norway Chess Women Round 8: Assaubayeva beats Divya
Trending Stories
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
IPL 2026: 5 players who could be released after disappointing campaigns
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Do dark-coloured cars burn more fuel for AC in summer?
)
'Why should we pick a fight...': Netanyahu calls off massive Iran strike after Trump's warning call
)
Watch: Trump booed in New York as he attends NBA finals at Madison Square Garden
)
Scientists discover vast geological structure hidden beneath Antarctica's ice
)
Video: Major Accident at Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant after molten iron spills, 10 feared dead
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why fighter jets are so loud compared to normal planes
)
6 Indians killed in Dubai after mini bus hits stationary truck
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Portugal’s probable XI for FIFA World Cup 2026
)
State of emergency declared in New Zealand's Wellington as 11-meter waves force hundreds to evacuate
)
US Army helicopter crashes near Strait of Hormuz, Trump says 'pilots are...' - VIDEO
)
US, China, Russia lead record $119 billion nuclear arms surge: Where does India stand?
)
Iran hit by 4.9 magnitude earthquake: What's the REAL reason?
)
Japanese researchers turn discarded udon noodles into biodegradable paper: How it works
)
Plane crashes in Dominican Republic, explodes into massive fireball - VIDEO
)
Meta AI could wipe out entire Instagram to ZERO users in coming months! Here's why
)
Who Is Kevin Kunta? Meet Ram Charan’s bodyguard, MMA fighter, who reportedly charges Rs 2–3 lakh per day
)
India A Tri-Series in Sri Lanka 2026: Full schedule, venues, squads, timings & live-streaming details
)
'That bump glow': Fans gush as Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are spotted at their new Bandra home
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why Russia and the US design their fighter jet missiles so differently
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why fighter jet missiles have different coloured stripes
)
Old praise, new problems: Cockroach Janta Party spokesperson Saurav Das's 9-year-old tweet faces scrutiny
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
How do fighter jet missiles lock on to targets? mechanism explained
)
CID exposes Rs 2,400-crore ponzi scheme in Karnataka; Over 40,00 investors affected in fraud case
)
Indian mangoes make inroads into the US market with Seattle event
)
Bear on the loose in Japanese city forces closure of nearly 100 schools
)
‘Have some spine’: Mahua Moitra targets Yusuf Pathan, says TMC mandate ‘was NOT for NDA’ amid defection buzz
)
Iran's World Cup team wore '168' lapel pins in Mexico: What this means and could FIFA ban them?
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Why the AIM-9 is a legendary fighter jet missile
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Is it logically smarter to buy an electric car right now just to avoid fuel costs?
)
Who is Abhilasha Barak? India's first woman combat helicopter pilot wins UN Military Gender Advocate Award
&im=FitAndFill=(700,400))
Meet top 5 players with most runs in Women's World Cup history
The women’s tournament also featured two decisive classical games and one Armageddon decider, with Bibisara Assaubayeva strengthening her grip on first place. Assaubayeva recorded an important classical victory over Divya Deshmukh. Playing with the black pieces, the tournament leader absorbed pressure effectively before capitalizing on time trouble to secure the full point.
Zhu Jiner also registered a significant classical win, defeating reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun. Consistent endgame pressure allowed Zhu to convert her advantage and move level with Divya Deshmukh on 10 points. The clash between Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru ended in a classical draw.
Their Armageddon encounter remained closely contested before Humpy ultimately prevailed with the black pieces, claiming the bonus points. After Round 8, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the Norway Chess Women standings with 15.5 points. Anna Muzychuk follows on 10.5 points, while Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jiner are tied on 10 points each.
