Round 2 of Norway Chess 2026 produced another day of tense battles and high-level drama in Oslo, with Alireza Firouzja continuing his sensational start to the tournament.

Firouzja claimed the only classical victory of the round after defeating Indian star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in a complex strategic encounter. The French grandmaster steadily increased the pressure from the middlegame onward and converted his positional advantage with calm and precise play, securing his second consecutive classical win and strengthening his lead in the standings.

One of the most anticipated clashes of the day saw World No 1 Magnus Carlsen face German No 1 Vincent Keymer in a gripping battle that eventually ended in a draw.

Carlsen appeared to control the game for long stretches and entered the endgame with a slight edge, but Keymer defended resiliently under pressure and managed to hold the position. The Norwegian star later bounced back in the Armageddon tiebreak, winning the faster-format decider to collect the additional points.

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Wesley So fought out another deeply strategic classical draw after a long positional struggle. Wesley So eventually prevailed in Armageddon to secure the extra points from the round.

After two rounds, Firouzja stands alone at the top of the Norway Chess standings following back-to-back classical victories.

Women’s round

In the women’s event, tournament leader Bibisara Assaubayeva maintained her impressive momentum after defeating Zhu Jiner in Armageddon. Their classical encounter ended level after a tense battle before Assaubayeva took control in the rapid tiebreak.

An all-Indian matchup between Divya Deshmukh and Humpy Koneru also required Armageddon after a balanced classical game, with Divya emerging victorious in the decider.

In the final women’s pairing, Anna Muzychuk defeated reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon to claim the additional points.

With Firouzja extending his lead and Assaubayeva continuing her strong form, Norway Chess 2026 is already shaping into one of the most competitive editions in recent years.

The Emirates Drug Establishment has announced a major reduction in the retail prices of 168 pharmaceutical products across the UAE, delivering significant savings on medications used to treat chronic and life-threatening illnesses.

The revised pricing decision will officially take effect on May 30 and covers a broad range of treatments, including medicines for heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, stroke prevention, cholesterol disorders, respiratory illnesses, neurological conditions, mental health disorders and eye diseases.

Pharmacies across the UAE have already begun updating their pricing systems ahead of implementation, with reductions varying depending on the type of medication and therapeutic category.

According to the new pricing structure, discounts range from around 5 per cent to nearly 60 per cent for some of the country’s most expensive vital and biologic medicines.

Lower price for cholesterol medicine

One of the biggest reductions applies to Zocor 40mg, a cholesterol-lowering drug whose price has been reduced by approximately 59.5 per cent. Meanwhile, Xalatan, used to treat elevated eye pressure in glaucoma patients, recorded a price cut of more than 51 per cent.

Several high-cost cancer and biologic treatments also saw major reductions under the new decision. The lung cancer medication Alunbrig 180mg was reduced from Dh26,433 to Dh21,108, while the 90mg version dropped from Dh19,824 to Dh12,520. The 30mg dosage also saw a significant reduction, falling from Dh6,608 to Dh4,173.

In another major adjustment, Xeloda 150mg, commonly prescribed for breast, colon and rectal cancer, was reduced from Dh347 to Dh241.

The latest move is expected to provide substantial relief for patients requiring long-term treatment, particularly those dependent on expensive speciality medications and biologic therapies.

The opening round of Norway Chess 2026 delivered high drama, surprise results and intense Armageddon battles as some of the world’s biggest chess stars clashed in Oslo.

The biggest shock of the day came when Alireza Firouzja defeated World No 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical play, handing the hometown hero a painful opening-round loss.

Carlsen appeared in control for much of the encounter, but severe time pressure proved costly. A late mistake allowed Firouzja to seize the initiative and convert his advantage with precision, giving the French grandmaster the only classical win in the men’s tournament and the early lead in the standings.

Indian star Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu battled Wesley So to a balanced classical draw before dominating the Armageddon tiebreak with aggressive attacking play to secure extra points.

Meanwhile, reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju survived a difficult endgame against German grandmaster Vincent Keymer. Keymer held a near-winning position for large parts of the game, but Gukesh produced stubborn defensive resistance to force a draw before bouncing back to win the decider.

The women’s tournament also opened with a major upset as Bibisara Assaubayeva defeated Indian No. 1 Humpy Koneru in classical chess. Assaubayeva handled the middlegame complications confidently and converted her advantage smoothly to emerge as the early tournament leader.

Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner played out a tense classical draw before Zhu claimed victory in Armageddon.

In another closely watched matchup, Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun pressed hard for victory against rising Indian talent Divya Deshmukh, but the classical game ended level. Divya then impressed in the Armageddon playoff, securing a memorable tiebreak victory.

Held from May 25 to June 5 in Oslo, Norway Chess 2026 features two elite six-player tournaments running simultaneously, Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women, both using a double round-robin format with equal prize funds.

One of the tournament’s unique features remains its Armageddon system, where drawn classical games are immediately followed by a tiebreak game to ensure every round produces a winner.

After an explosive first day filled with upsets, comebacks and fighting chess, the tournament has already set the stage for a thrilling edition in Oslo.