Norwegian Chess: Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa lose out as Divya Deshmukh continues winning run

D Gukesh and R Praggnanandhaa suffered disappointing Armageddon defeats in a dramatic second day of Norwegian chess, while Divya Deshmukh continued her impressive run in the women’s section.

World champion Gukesh looked set for victory against Wesley So after dominating large parts of a grueling 116-move classic game. However, the American escaped with a draw before completely outplaying the Indian in Armageddon to secure 1.5 points. Despite the defeat, Gukesh remained on 2.5 points along with So.

Praggnanandhaa also suffered a disappointing performance against in-form Frenchman Alirez Firouzja, who climbed to the top of the standings with six points after back-to-back wins. The Indian looked to have the upper hand at the start of the classic game but Firouzja defended brilliantly despite playing through the pain of an ankle injury. Using crutches and a protective moon boot, the French star flipped the position before finishing with a bang.

“I am trying to play chess. It hurts a lot but it keeps me focused,” PTI quoted Firouzja as saying after the win.

Defending champion Magnus Carlsen finally opened his account after another thrilling battle against Germany’s Vincent Keymer. The Norwegian let promising positions slip in a classic game before recovering to win an Armageddon tiebreak to move within 1.5 points of Praggnanandhaa.

DIVYA CONTINUES TO MARCH

In the women’s section, Divya Deshmukh continued her brilliant run by defeating veteran compatriot Konera Humpy in Armageddon. The teenager, making her debut in Norwegian chess, climbed to joint second place with three points after another confident performance.

Divya said she liked the unique format of the Armageddon tournament as well as the ‘Confession Room’ where players exchange thoughts during games.

“I enjoy the Armageddon games a lot. It helps me think through my ideas and calculate better,” she said.

Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva consolidated her 4.5-point lead after defeating Zhu Jiner in Armageddon, while defending champion Anna Muzychuk overcame women’s world champion Ju Wenjun in another tiebreak thriller.

Standings after round 2 (open): Turquoise 6; Wesley So, Gukesh 2.5; Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa 1.5.

Women: Bibisara Assaubayeva 4.5; Divya Deshmukh 3; Anna Muzychuk, Zhu Junior 2.5; Wenjun 2; Humpbacked corner 1.

– The end

Published on:

27 May 2026 15:17 IST