GM Alireza Firouzja produced a sensational upset by defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the opening round of Norway Chess 2026, marking his first-ever classical victory over the Norwegian superstar. Despite reportedly playing with an injured ankle, Firouzja held his nerve in a tense battle and capitalised on Carlsen’s late mistakes to secure the biggest result of the day.
The tournament, which has shifted from Stavanger to Oslo this year, began with high drama as several games went down to Armageddon tie-breaks after drawn classical encounters. World Champion D Gukesh looked close to defeat against Germany’s Vincent Keymer during a chaotic time scramble, but the Indian teenager managed to survive a marathon 144-move contest before winning the Armageddon decider.
Another Indian star, R Praggnanandhaa, also started strongly by defeating Wesley So in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw. The exciting opening round underlined India’s growing influence in elite chess, with both Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa showing remarkable resilience under pressure.
In the women’s section, India’s Divya Deshmukh made headlines by holding reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun to a classical draw before stunning her in the Armageddon tie-break on her Norway Chess debut.
Norway Chess 2026 features a unique format where drawn classical games are followed by Armageddon playoffs, making every round highly competitive and unpredictable. The tournament continues until June 5 and includes some of the strongest players in the world.
