Oslo. In the third round of Norway Chess 2026 on Wednesday, Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhan created a big upset by defeating world number-1 player Magnus Carlsen. In the match played in Oslo, Praggnanandhan displayed excellent strategic play and won the classical match.
Praggnanandha appeared in a strong position for most of the match. Although under time pressure, for some time the match seemed to be going in Carlsen’s favor, but soon after this the Norwegian star player made a big mistake and had to accept defeat.
Firozha maintained her lead
The classical match between world champion D. Gukesh and tournament leader Alireza Firoza was a close encounter and ultimately ended in a draw. After this, in the Armageddon match played, Firozha won extra points and maintained its lead in the table.
The classical match between Vincent Keymer and Wesley So also ended in a draw. Later, Wesley So won the Armageddon game. Alireza Firozha remains at the top position in the points table after the third round.
Thrill continues in Norway Chess women’s category too
In the Norway Chess Women’s Tournament, all the classical matches were also a draw, after which the winner was decided by Armageddon matches.
A tough competition was seen between women’s world champion Xu Wenjun and Zhu Jin’er. At one time, Zhu Jin’er was in a strong position, but she could not convert it into victory. Later in Armageddon, Zhu Jin’er won and got extra points.
The classical match between Anna Muzychuk and Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy ended in a draw. After this, Anna Muzychuk won in Armageddon.
At the same time, the classical match between tournament leader Bibisara Assaubayeva and India’s Divya Deshmukh also ended in a draw. After this, Divya Deshmukh showed great performance and won the Armageddon match.
After the third round, Bibisara Assoubayeva remains on top in the women’s category, although Divya Deshmukh and Zhu Jin’er have reduced the gap.
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