While praggnanandhaa

World Champion Ju Wenjun: Norway Chess 2026 opened with high drama in Oslo as Indian stars R Praggnanandhaa and World Champion D Gukesh launched their campaigns with gritty Armageddon victories after hard-fought drawn classical games.

While Praggnanandhaa outclassed Wesley So in the tiebreaker with an aggressive attacking display, Gukesh staged a remarkable comeback against Vincent Keymer after surviving a difficult endgame in the classical encounter.

The biggest upset of the opening round, however, came when Alireza Firouzja stunned World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in classical chess, handing the Norwegian superstar a rare defeat on home soil to take the early lead in the tournament standings.