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.
