Daijiworld Media Network - Stavanger

Stavanger, Jun 2: GM Wesley So strengthened his grip on the lead at the Norway Chess 2026 tournament after round seven, opening a 2.5-point advantage over GM Alireza Firouzja.

World champion Gukesh Dommaraju came close to a crucial classical victory against So and obtained a winning position, but was unable to convert it into a full point. Although Gukesh later won the armageddon tie-break, he remained at the bottom of the standings.

Meanwhile, GM R Praggnanandhaa handed Firouzja his second successive classical defeat. Despite the setback, Firouzja retained second place in the overall standings.

In another key encounter, GM Vincent Keymer and GM Magnus Carlsen battled through an intriguing King's Indian Defence before agreeing to a draw in the classical game. Carlsen then emerged victorious in the armageddon tie-break.

In the Norway Chess Women 2026 event, GM Bibisara Assaubayeva extended her lead to 2.5 points after capitalising on a major blunder by GM Zhu Jiner to secure her second classical victory of the tournament.

Indian star Divya Deshmukh strengthened her hold on second place after outplaying GM Koneru Humpy in a Benko Gambit. However, Divya was unable to convert her advantage into a classical win and later admitted she had "seen ghosts" during the game. She eventually settled for victory in the armageddon tie-break.

GM Anna Muzychuk moved ahead of women's world champion Ju Wenjun by handing her a sixth consecutive armageddon defeat. Ju had earlier been close to securing a classical victory before the game slipped away.

With four rounds remaining, both tournaments remain finely poised, though So and Assaubayeva currently hold commanding leads in the open and women's sections respectively.