Norway Chess 2026 R2: Firouzja Makes It Two Classical Wins in a Row, Carlsen and Gukesh Miss Wins

After stunning Magnus Carlsen in Round 1, Alireza Firouzja made it two classical wins in a row by dispatching Praggnanandhaa in Round 2. He now leads Norway Chess 2026 with a perfect 6/6, a staggering 3.5 points ahead of his nearest rivals.

Behind him, Carlsen and Gukesh both held winning positions in their classical games but failed to convert. Carlsen missed a devastating combination against Keymer, while World Champion Gukesh let a 116-move marathon against Wesley So slip away. Both had to settle for Armageddon consolation prizes.

Open Results

Standings After Round 2

Firouzja Can't Stop Winning

Two classical wins in two rounds at a super-tournament. Against Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa. With a broken ankle. The ankle that forced him to withdraw from the Super Chess Classic just two weeks ago.

Praggnanandhaa held his own in the early middlegame and appeared to have reasonable chances, but the critical moment arrived at move 27. After Firouzja's strong 27.Ne1, threatening to reroute his knight to d3, Praggnanandhaa offered a queen trade with 27...Qe4? that led to a structurally inferior endgame.

The resulting rook-and-minor-piece ending looked holdable, but 31...Rd6?! was a passive defense when 31...Bd8 would have given Black real counterplay. Firouzja squeezed methodically from there, won the e4-pawn, and converted by move 43.

Firouzja was characteristically understated: "Not today, for sure! It was a decent game, but I don't think the opening was something special." On the ankle pain: "I have a lot of pain, but it's something that keeps me focused."

His 12th classical encounter with Praggnanandhaa had historically been a draw-fest, with nine draws and one win each before today. Not anymore. With 6/6, Firouzja is already guaranteed sole first place going into Round 3, an absurd position after just two of ten rounds.

Carlsen's Missed Knockout

The Carlsen-Keymer classical game was a Sicilian that gradually tilted in Carlsen's favor. Keymer introduced the novelty 9...a4 but then went wrong with 25...Qf6?! when 25...h3! would have given Black a serious initiative.

The tables turned completely around move 42 when Keymer played 42...Qe6?, handing Carlsen a winning position. The computer found a devastating combination: 43.Ra8+ Kg7 44.Bxf4 exf4 45.Qh5, essentially crushing Black. Instead, Carlsen played 43.Qg4?? and the win evaporated.

Carlsen admitted as much afterward: "31...Ne8 shocked me, that was just a blunder, and then I should of course win." On the missed chances: "It's just a little bit demotivating at that point, but you've got to try and do your best."

In the Armageddon, Keymer blundered with 30...c3? and Carlsen converted. The world number one picks up 1.5 points but sits fifth on 1.5 total, 4.5 behind Firouzja. Not the home tournament script he had in mind.

Gukesh's Endgame Agony

The So-Gukesh classical was another marathon, though not quite the 144-move epic from Gukesh's Round 1 battle with Keymer. This time, 116 moves.

Gukesh pressed throughout and appeared to be converting when the critical moment arrived at move 65. With 65...Nf3+!, Black had a winning shot. Instead, Gukesh played 65...Nf5+?, allowing So to escape. The game ground on but never reached winning territory again.

So confessed the game got scary: "It got real scary, real quick." But he also pointed to Gukesh's clock management: "I think I didn't give him that many chances, and also his time management was very poor."

In the Armageddon, So had White and played 21.Nf6+?, missing the stronger 21.Rxc6, but Gukesh returned the favor with his own tactical miscalculation shortly after, and So won in just 25 moves.

With his World Championship defense against Sindarov approaching in November, Gukesh's results continue to raise questions. He held decent positions in both rounds but converted neither.

Women's Event: Assaubayeva Survives Chaos

All three classical games in the women's tournament ended in draws, with every match decided in Armageddon.

Assaubayeva 1.5-1 Zhu Jiner

The tournament leader nearly stumbled. In the classical game, a Benoni-type structure, Zhu built a significant space advantage. The position fluctuated wildly. On move 33, Zhu erred with 33.Rad1?, and Assaubayeva began fighting back with the strong 34...Bh6!. But then Assaubayeva herself missed the winning 53...Nxc4, which would have netted two minor pieces and a pawn for a rook. The game ended in a draw after 53 moves.

The Armageddon was pure chaos. Assaubayeva blundered 27...Re7?, allowing a one-move skewer, and found herself down a full rook. Her honest self-assessment: "I just blundered everything that I can. First a piece, then a rook." But the position was sharp enough that she fought her way back and won on time in a mutually frantic scramble. She admitted she hadn't played Armageddon in three years.

Assaubayeva leads with 4.5 points, 1.5 clear of the field.

Deshmukh 1.5-1 Koneru

The all-Indian clash saw Divya Deshmukh claim her second consecutive Armageddon scalp, this time against Humpy Koneru. The classical game was a balanced 32-move draw after Divya's aggressive 4.g4 opening experiment. She later admitted: "I tried out an interesting opening, but okay, objectively not quite bad but a little bad for White."

In the Armageddon, Koneru equalized comfortably but then played 21...c5?!, weakening her queenside. Deshmukh targeted the c5 and a5 squares and converted. Two rounds, two Armageddon wins. The 19-year-old sits in sole second place.

Muzychuk 1.5-1 Ju Wenjun

Anna Muzychuk employed a deliberate strategy: play a risk-free classical game to preserve energy for the Armageddon. The classical drew in 31 quiet moves. The Armageddon was anything but quiet. Muzychuk played the dubious 5.Nxe5, sacrificed a piece with 27.Nxd6!?, and somehow it worked. The game ended in checkmate on the board.

Muzychuk's reaction captured the madness: "As a spectator, you get a lot of joy, but as a player, it's crazy!"

Women's Standings After Round 2

Round 3 Pairings (May 27)

The big match: Gukesh gets Firouzja with the black pieces. Can anyone slow the runaway leader? And the women's top two, Assaubayeva and Deshmukh, face each other directly.

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Norway Chess 2026 runs May 25 to June 5 at Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo. Follow the games live on Chess.com or on Chess24's YouTube and Twitch channels.

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