Abhimanyu Puranik Exclusive: Chess Journey, Help Divya Deshmukh in World Cup, Grand Swiss and more
Firouzja is considered one of the brightest stars of modern chess. He became a grandmaster at just 14 years old and later made history by becoming the youngest player ever to reach a 2800 rating. He also broke the 2700 mark in 16, which shows how quickly he has climbed to the elite level. He played twice in the FIDE Candidates tournament, first after winning the Grand Swiss in 2021 and later in 2024 on the World Rating List.He is no stranger to Norwegian chess, having played there four times and finishing second in 2020 and 2021. Tournament organizers welcomed his return and COO Benedicte Westre Skog said: “Alireza Firouzja has been a part of Norwegian chess for several years and has consistently performed at the highest level. He brings intensity, ambition and first-class quality to the court. We are very pleased to welcome him back to Oslo in 2026.”India will continue to have a strong presence at the event. World champion Gukesh Dommaraju and R Praggnanandhaa are already confirmed, alongside Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer. One more player will be revealed each week, so Arjun still has a chance to make it big.Gukesh, who became the youngest undisputed world champion after defeating Ding Liren in 2024, said: “I’m really happy to take part in Norwegian chess again, I’m up against a very strong field as always and I’m looking forward to all the exciting games. He has also had success in Norwegian chess before, including a memorable victory over Carlsen in 2025.