Norway Chess 2026: R Praggnanandhaa & D Gukesh win their opening matches

By  News On Air   May 26, 2026

The Norway Chess 2026 started with big action in Oslo. Indian players R Praggnanandhaa and D Gukesh both won their opening matches in Armageddon after draws in classical games.

Praggnanandhaa beat Wesley So in the tiebreak. Gukesh also won against Vincent Keymer. Keymer was close to winning in the classical game, but Gukesh defended well and saved the game. 

In the Women’s tournament, reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun and Divya Deshmukh also ended in a draw after a tense battle in which Ju Wenjun was pressing for a win.

Divya delivered a strong performance in the Armageddon decider, winning the tiebreak game. Another major result came from Bibisara Assaubayeva, who defeated Indian No. 1 Koneru Humpy in classical chess.