Carlsen Triumphs Over Gukesh in Norway Chess Showdown; Praggnanandhaa Shines for India Amidst Women’s Setbacks

Magnus Carlsen Triumphs Over D. Gukesh in Norway Chess Showdown

Oslo, May 28, 2026 — In a thrilling fourth round of the Norway Chess 2026, Magnus Carlsen reclaimed his competitive edge with a decisive victory over reigning World Champion D. Gukesh. The match, held in Oslo, was particularly significant following Carlsen’s previous frustrations against the young Indian prodigy, who had bested him in the 2025 tournament.

Carlsen, the World No. 1, entered the match with a shaky start, having lost two of his first three games, including a classical match to R. Praggnanandhaa. However, the Norwegian chess maestro turned the tide in this high-stakes encounter, capitalizing on late errors from Gukesh to secure a crucial three points. With this win, Carlsen surged to a total of 4.5 points in the tournament.

“I understood what I had to do to win, and I did it. That’s why I feel so relieved,” Carlsen expressed after the match, visibly pleased with his performance.

Meanwhile, R. Praggnanandhaa provided a silver lining for Indian chess fans by defeating Vincent Keymer in an Armageddon tiebreaker. Despite letting a winning position slip in their classical match, Praggnanandhaa’s aggressive strategy in the tiebreaker propelled him to second place in the standings, just behind Alireza Firouza, who faced defeat at the hands of Wesley So.

However, it was a challenging day for Indian women in the tournament. Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh both faced setbacks, losing to Zhu Jiner and Anna Muzychuk, respectively, in their fourth-round games. Humpy’s struggles continued as she was outclassed in the tie-break after the classical match ended in a stalemate.

In a surprising turn of events, Kazakh GM Bibisara Assaubayeva rebounded from a previous loss to Divya by defeating World Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon, showcasing the unpredictable nature of the tournament.

As the tournament takes a break on Friday, players will return to the board on Saturday, with the stakes higher than ever.

Fourth Round Results:

• Open: Wesley So (USA, 5.5) defeated Alireza Firouza (Fra, 8.5) in Armageddon; D. Gukesh (3.5) lost to Magnus Carlsen (Nor, 4.5); Vincent Keymer (Ger, 4) lost to R. Praggnanandhaa (6) in Armageddon.
• Women: Koneru Humpy (3) lost to Zhu Jiner (Chn, 5.5) in Armageddon; Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kaz, 7) defeated Ju Wenjun (Chn, 4) in Armageddon; Divya Deshmukh (5.5) lost to Anna Muzychuk (Ukr, 5.5) in Armageddon.

Stay tuned for more updates as the tournament unfolds in Oslo!