2026 Norway Chess R9: Assaubayeva Clinches With Round To Spare; Praggnanandhaa Scores Hat Trick Vs. Gukesh

Norway Chess Round 9: Praggnanandhaa Scores Hat Trick

Gukesh 0-3 Praggnanandhaa

Praggnanandhaa’s tournament took a turn for the worse when he lost consecutive games in rounds five (vs. Gukesh) and six (vs. So), but since then he’s won every single game. The redemption arc is in full swing as he’s now beaten Firouzja, Carlsen, and Gukesh back to back to back.

“Three days back, I was fighting for the last spot. And now I have a chance at fighting, so I’ll take it!” said Praggnanandhaa, who’s now climbed four places on the live rating list to world number-12, as Gukesh has sunk to number-25, two spots behind his compatriot GM Nihal Sarin.

Three days back, I was fighting for the last spot. And now I have a chance at fighting, so I’ll take it!

—Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu

The pairing was timely, as Praggnanandhaa said, “It’s a perfect opponent. He never backs down from a fight… no matter how the tournament is going.” Gukesh’s opening choice was the most ambitious of the round, a Nimzo-Indian Saemish Variation where White inevitably sacrifices the c4-pawn. GM David Howell described it well: positionally, White is lost, but the dynamics (namely, White’s center and active piece play) lead to equal chances.

Praggnanandhaa entered the confessional booth for the first time to say this was “yet another opening which my second told me would come and I didn’t check it properly.” He went on to say “I don’t remember anything right now,” although he did realize that they were following a high-level encounter between GMs Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Wei Yi from Tata Steel Chess 2025.

“I don’t remember anything right now. I feel like this is the game between Nodirbek and Wei Yi from one of the Wijk aan Zees, but I can’t fully recollect.”

Praggnanandhaa remembers right. That game was in Tata Steel Chess 2025.#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/TDxgc2dVUP

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 4, 2026

They followed that game for 14 moves, and whether he found it over the board or remembered it, Praggnanandhaa improved with the novelty 13…f5!, with a black advantage. Gukesh’s response, 14.g4??, was already a losing mistake. In his second confessional visit, Praggnanandhaa said, “g4 was wild. I don’t believe in this too much for White, but it’s complicated.”

Praggnanandhaa plays the novelty 13…f5, and Gukesh’s first original move of the game looks to be a blunder! 14…Nb3 is the best move for Black.https://t.co/SSuvmTtH0B#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/tIQTmlMf2G

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 4, 2026

Praggnanandhaa won a whole rook and went on to win the game, though Gukesh fought like a lion and, objectively, even got himself back into the game at one point. Pragg pointed out on the Norway Chess broadcast that he was also winning in their first game, though he lost control and and the game in the time scramble. He didn’t let that happen again.

I’m quite proud about this game, honestly, because this is how I usually lose to him. He does some weird, creative stuff, I end up overthinking and somehow doing something myself and losing. So I thought I managed my time well and I was also calculating well.

GM Javokhir Sindarov, who challenges Gukesh for the world crown later this year, joined the Chess24 broadcast shortly after Gukesh made the opening error. He observed, “I understand they’re really trying to win with White each game… sometimes you need to just wait for your chances.”

“I’m not shocked a lot of games were won by Black,” added Sindarov, saying it’s a reminder that classical chess isn’t dead—and he also thought the 3-points-for-a-win format contributed. Singling out Carlsen, he said it’s inspiring to see players fight so hard, even if it can lead to many losses. 

“[Magnus is] trying to play for a win with any color, any position, and probably that’s why he lost a lot of games. But, you know, the young generation needs to learn from his chess.”

– Javokhir Sindarov

#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/tOVF7RsEwR

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 4, 2026

So 1.5-1 Carlsen

Despite losing in a Sicilian Najdorf against Praggnanandhaa in round three, Carlsen played the opening again with the black pieces. Going into the game, So said, “He’s in the worst form of his life here, but he can easily turn it around… I just want to get a game where one mistake won’t cost me the game.”

Carlsen entered the confessional booth in the opening phase to say:

I’m finding this position very uncomfortable. Like, we’re 10 moves in… and both players have castled and there’s no imminent attack. There’s no imminent crisis in the center or anything like that. It’s just a kind of normal positional game. its just blowing my mind, I haven’t seen one of those all tournament.

“I’m finding this position very uncomfortable. Like we’re 10 moves in… and both players have castled and there’s no imminent attack. Theres no imminent crisis in the center or anything like that. It’s just a kind of normal positional game.”#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/IXlnX99rEg

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 4, 2026

He went on to make “a very committal decision” to give up the bishop pair with 11…Nc6, creating an imbalance with the rationale, in his words, of, “C’mon, how bad can it be?” (in his second confessional visit).

Carlsen said after the game, “I felt that I was putting on a little bit of pressure… at least psychologically… objectively, I didn’t ever feel like I had anything particularly serious.” 

So said of the classical game: “Magnus played really well today. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to for a win; I think I defended well in the end.” As for the armageddon that followed, he was simply exhausted. “I had no idea what was going on the entire game. I think Magnus wasn’t very motivated and I was also quite tired from the [classical] game.”

“Magnus, even if he won this armageddon, it’s not like it will change his tournament that much, but for me it matters a lot. So I think I should thank him for the little help.” So gained the extra half-point with a convincing victory in armageddon, after building up an initiative from the opening, another Sicilian.

Magnus, even if he won this armageddon, it’s not like it will change his tournament that much, but for me it matters a lot.

—Wesley So

If So hadn’t won that armageddon, he would be tied with Praggnanandhaa going into the last day. On the other hand, Firouzja came very close to spoiling the party! So said, “I’m just very happy Alireza didn’t win that classical [game]!… if Alireza won the classical today, then it pretty much guarantees [him] the tournament.”

Keymer 1-1.5 Firouzja

Keymer has won one classical game (against Gukesh) and drawn all of his others, with now eight armageddon losses. For hours, it looked like a one-sided game—the advantage kept growing, reached winning proportions, but finally imploded in the time-trouble phase. He summed it up:

I think everything went very well. I got my prep, which was nothing special but still kind of threw him off and he made some mistakes… just when I felt like, okay, now I should have everything under control, I managed to mess it up… even to a lost position… at least I didn’t lose and drew that game. I’m still not happy, but it’s still kind of acceptable.

Firouzja found himself in a lost position, with three minutes against 20, but decided to go for broke with an exchange sacrifice. The computer disapproves, but Howell and IM Tania Sachdev praised it (live, as it was played) as the best practical chance. 

From there, what we witnessed was magic and heartbreak, for both players. GM Rafael Leitao analyzes the Game of the Day, which was a great fight, even if it ended in a draw.

Firouzja, who could have finished that classical game with either 0 points or 3, went on to take the midpoint, 1.5, after an armageddon win. Keymer’s opening didn’t work out, and by move 19 he blundered a piece—though an on-demand win for White was already hard to imagine by that point in the game.

All boards matter in the final round of Norway Chess. First off, we have the battle of second and first place, Firouzja vs. So. Then Praggnanandhaa has White against Keymer, in his last bid to overtake the others. Finally, Carlsen plays Gukesh in a fight, between world number-one and world champion, to stay out of last place.

Norway Chess Women Round 9: Assaubayeva Wins With Round To Spare

Assaubayeva 1-1.5 Muzychuk

Going into the penultimate round, Assaubayeva needed only a draw in classical chess to guarantee that she’d win the Norway Chess Women title. Her opponent, second-placed Muzychuk, had made eight classical draws in the preceding rounds, so that the outcome seemed almost inevitable. Indeed, that’s how it proved, as the first 16 moves followed a GM Vidit Gujrathi vs. Sindarov game from the 2024 UzChess Cup Masters.

The moment Bibisara Assaubayeva is confirmed as the winner of #NorwayChess Women! She still has an armageddon to play against Anna Muzychuk today, but no one can catch her in the title race pic.twitter.com/CbpPQ63Iv2

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 4, 2026

The armageddon no longer made any difference to Assaubayeva, and, after getting nothing from the opening, she agreed a draw shortly after move 30. Muzychuk, who had the black pieces, gained an extra half point that might still prove important in the battle for second place.

Assaubayeva, meanwhile, could bask in the glory of winning the title with a round to spare. She’d dominated the tournament almost from start to finish, winning three classical games, losing none, and picking up 15.2 rating points. She noted her one miss was failing to convert a -6 position with Black against Zhu in round two. What did she put her success down to? 

I think I felt relaxed after the Candidates, because during the Candidates I had a lot of stress. At some moment I felt like I just want to quit chess, because it’s too much for me. After the Candidates it was hard to realize that I took only second place, but then I just said to myself, ‘I need to continue enjoying chess,’ have some camps, and come to Norway Chess and show my best and try to win the tournament.

During the Candidates I had a lot of stress. At some moment I felt like I just want to quit chess, because it’s too much for me.

—Bibisara Assaubayeva   

Assaubayeva had been supported in Oslo not only by her regular seconds, but by world championship challenger Sindarov. 

Assaubayeva on Sindarov helping her win #NorwayChess Women: “It’s fun, because he’s also a very strong chess player and he understands me. Sometimes he was very angry how I played, but in general I hope he is proud!”#NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/yGJXhJRUil

— chess24 (@chess24com) June 4, 2026

Sindarov was also interviewed on the live show, commenting, “Finally Bibisara won a very important tournament for her career, maybe her first huge tournament, and I believe it will not be her last—I’m very happy for her!”

The new Uzbek number-one had his own verdict on what was behind Assaubayeva’s success:

In my opinion, one of the important things is when they get into time trouble, Bibisara here is better than everyone in the women’s category. She’s a three-time world blitz champion, first, but second, in my opinion, we work a lot for time trouble with our coach Roman [Vidonyak], so that’s why I believe she played really, really well in time trouble.

When they get into time trouble, Bibisara here is better than everyone in the women’s category.

—Javokhir Sindarov

Sindarov pointed to the turnaround win against Divya, the only player to really challenge Assaubayeva for the title. He commented: “This game against Divya is very important and how she found in time trouble this 39…e3!, 40…Re7!, even I was shocked when she found this. At first I didn’t believe she would find it, but after she finds it I started to think she can win even this game.”

A brilliant attack followed and set up the coronation in the penultimate round.

For the other players, however, the battle continues, with Zhu winning a hugely important second classical game in a row to move into second place.

Divya 0-3 Zhu

This was an intense, fighting game. Zhu briefly had a chance to take over in the opening, but instead allowed Divya to play an exchange sacrifice which led to a roughly equal position where Divya had two pawns and a knight for a rook. Zhu also had a ruined pawn structure, but 31…h5! was a fine move that left Divya on the brink of getting checkmated.

She used up 11 of her remaining 13 seconds and picked the wrong option, 32.Qc8+? instead of the only move 32.Kg2!. The tactical sequence led to a lost endgame, and with so little time Divya was unable to put up much resistance.

That game saw Divya drop to fourth place, three points behind Zhu, two points behind Muzychuk, and half a point behind Ju, who scored an unlikely armageddon win over Humpy.

Humpy 1-1.5 Ju

Both these heavyweight players had struggled this year, but they played out an entertaining clash in the penultimate round. The classical game was drawn after Humpy trapped Ju’s knight but had the wrong-colored bishop to force the a-pawn through to become a queen. Ju could just move her king to a8 and there was no way through.

Ju described the game as follows: “In the classical game, I think she’s trying to play something very concrete and very complicated, and in the endgame it should be equal for Black.”

That was fair, with Humpy getting to sacrifice a bishop on f7 early on, but never getting a clear advantage.

Going into the armageddon, Ju had, astonishingly for one of the best speed-chess players in the women’s game, lost six times in a row, but it proved seventh time lucky. Ju commented, “In armageddon actually she had a huge advantage—in general, it was very likely for her to win, but I was lucky!”

That was no exaggeration, with Humpy reaching what would have been a trivially won position with connected passed pawns, if she didn’t have to play it on a one-second increment. She let Ju escape, and win the armageddon, since Black only needed a draw.

That leaves a few things clear in Norway Chess Women: Assaubayeva has won the title, while Humpy can no longer fight for second place. The only player with second place in her own hands is Zhu, who can clinch over $37k with a classical win over Humpy. If Zhu draws in classical, then Muzychuk can take second place, but only if she beats Divya in classical chess. If Zhu loses, then Ju and even Divya are back in the race, with a three-way tie for second possible.    

Colin McGourty contributed to this report.

Round 10 Pairings