Praggnanandhaa stuns Gukesh with Black as Norway Chess title race goes to final-round thriller

Oslo: Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu scored the key classical victory over world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces, while Wesley So won Armageddon game over world No.1 Magnus Carlsen as the title race still wide-open heading into final round.

In a complicated battle, Praggnanandhaa took control after Gukesh came under pressure in the middlegame and converted with confidence. The full 3 points move Praggnanandhaa to 15 points, just half a point behind tournament leader Wesley So.

Wesley So’s classical game against World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen ended in a draw after a balanced encounter. So then won the Armageddon game, securing the extra points and preserving his lead before the final round.

Alireza Firouzja also remains firmly in contention. After surviving a difficult classical game against Vincent Keymer, Firouzja prevailed in Armageddon to collect the additional points. Keymer pressed for long stretches of the classical game, but Firouzja defended resourcefully and kept his title chances alive.

After Round 9, Wesley So leads Norway Chess with 15.5 points. Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu follows with 15 points, while Alireza Firouzja is close behind with 14.5 points.

In the women’s section, Bibisara Assaubayeva  secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with one round remaining after another important result . IANS

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