Emuses, Magnus Carsen, up R Praggdhana NEW DELHI: Norway Chess has unveiled another big name for its 2026 edition. After previously announcing Magnus Carlsen and R Praggnanandha, the organizers have now confirmed top German chess player Vincent Keymer as the latest entrant.Vincent Keymer will debut in Norwegian chess in 2026. Over the past year, his career has moved at great speed. He was ranked world No. 20 in January 2025, but climbed to world No. 4 in January 2026.
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He also added more than 40 rating points during this period. Keymer finished runner-up at the 2022 FIDE Rapid World Championship and became a regular player against the world’s best players.“I am looking forward to participating in my first Norwegian Chess tournament and getting the opportunity to fight for a tournament victory among this elite field,” said Keymer.The last 12 months have been a breakthrough phase for the German grandmaster. He has achieved good results against top opponents and has shown growing confidence at the highest level.
Vincent Keymer at Chennai Grand Masters 2025 (photo agency)
Now he belongs to the world’s top players and will arrive in Oslo as part of a new generation shaping modern chess.“As Germany’s No. 1 player and the first participant in Norwegian chess, Vincent brings fresh energy and added competitiveness to an already strong field. It is great to welcome a German player to the tournament and we hope that chess fans in Germany will follow his participation in Oslo,” added Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norwegian Chess.Earlier, Indian star R Praggnanandhaa confirmed his return to Norwegian Chess for the third time. He recently qualified for the 2026 Candidates Tournament after winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit.“Looking forward to returning to Norwegian Chess, enjoyed playing in 2024. Most interesting format I’ve ever played!” said Praggnanandhaa.In 2024, he defeated Magnus Carlsen in a classic game and was part of the gold medal-winning Indian Chess Olympiad team. Praggnanandhaa achieved a career-high world ranking of four with a highest ranking of 2785. Magnus Carlsen was announced earlier as the first confirmed entrant and fans are now waiting for the remaining names including D Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi.
