Oslo, June 3: In a remarkable display of skill, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu defeated Magnus Carlsen once again in the eighth round of Norway Chess 2026. This victory further solidifies Praggnanandhaa’s position in the title race. The 20-year-old prodigy had previously bested Carlsen while playing with white pieces last week. With his win in round 8 using black pieces, he has repeated his success.
With this achievement, Praggnanandhaa becomes only the second player after India’s legendary Viswanathan Anand to defeat Carlsen twice in a single tournament. He joins an elite group of players who have managed to beat the five-time world champion three times in classical chess.
Alireza Firouzja also scored a crucial classical victory against world champion Gukesh Dhamraj. Playing with white pieces, Firouzja navigated a tense endgame under mutual time pressure to secure a vital win. He is now just one point behind tournament leader Wesley So.
The final classical game between Wesley So and Vincent Keymer ended in a draw. However, So later triumphed in the Armageddon tiebreaker, earning extra points and maintaining his lead in the standings.
After round 8, Wesley So tops the Norway Chess leaderboard with 14 points. Firouzja follows closely with 13 points, while Praggnanandhaa is in strong contention with 12 points, making the title race highly competitive as the final round approaches.
In the women’s section of round 8, two decisive classical games and one Armageddon tiebreaker took place, with Bibisara Assaubayeva extending her lead. Assaubayeva achieved a significant classical victory against Divya Deshmukh. Playing as black, she faced pressure but capitalized on Divya’s dwindling time to secure the full points.
Zhou Jin’er also claimed a major classical win by defeating reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun. She maintained consistent pressure throughout the endgame, ultimately tying with Divya Deshmukh at 10 points.
The game between Anna Muzychuk and Humpy Koneru ended in a classical draw. The Armageddon tiebreak was closely contested, but Humpy Koneru emerged victorious with black, earning additional points.
After round 8, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the women’s standings with 15.5 points. Anna Muzychuk is in second place with 10.5 points, while Divya Deshmukh and Zhou Jin’er are tied with 10 points each.
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