Norway Chess: Praggnanandhaa falls to Firouzja in round 2, Wesley So defeats Gukesh; Deshmukh beats Humpy in all-Indian clash
Oslo, May 27
Alireza Firouzja defeated India's R Praggnanandhaa 3-0 in round 2 of Norway Chess 2026, while the match between Wesley So and D Gukesh was drawn, with So taking the Armageddon win, as per a press release from Norway Chess. In an all-Indian women's clash, Divya Deshmukh registered an Armageddon win over Koneru Humpy.
In a complex battle, Alireza Firouzja steadily built pressure in the middlegame against R Praggnanandhaa and eventually converted his advantage with precise play to secure his second consecutive classical win of the tournament.
The game between Wesley So and World Champion D Gukesh ended in a hard-fought draw in classical time control after a long strategic struggle. However, So went on to win the Armageddon tie-break, securing the additional points.
The clash between Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer also ended in a draw, with Carlsen holding a slight advantage in the endgame but Keymer defending well to save the game. Carlsen then won the Armageddon tie-break to take the extra points.
In an all-Indian encounter, Divya Deshmukh defeated Koneru Humpy in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.
In the other match, Anna Muzychuk overcame reigning Women's World Champion Ju Wenjun in Armageddon to take the extra points.
Following the second round, Firouzja extended his lead in the standings after scoring back-to-back classical wins. He's now atop the table with six points to his name, with Gukesh at the second spot with 2.5 points to his name, following two draws and an Armageddon win.
In the women's rankings, Assaubayeva keeps the lead with 4.5 points against her name after one win and an Armageddon win as well.
Earlier in round 1, Firouzja defeated Carlsen, and Gukesh secured an Armageddon win over Vincent Keymer. Praggnanandhaa, on the other hand, also clinched an Armageddon win over Wesley So.
In the Women's event, Assaubayeva had emerged as the winner after defeating Koneru Humpy, while Divya Deshmukh defeated Ju Wenjun in Armageddon.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, Gukesh drew with Wesley So after being world champion? That's not ideal. He needs to start converting these draws into wins if he wants to stay at the top. Firouzja is playing like a beast though, three classical wins in a row is insane!
Divya Deshmukh has been on fire lately! Beating Ju Wenjun in round 1 and now Humpy - that's championship-level form. Humpy is a legend but maybe it's time for the next generation to take over. Indian women's chess is in good hands. 💪
I'm a bit disappointed with Gukesh's performance so far. Yes, he's world champion, but he's drawing too many games. The Armageddon loss to So is tough. Meanwhile, Pragg needs to work on his classical form - his Armageddon skills are great but you need the full points in classical. Hope they both come back strong! 🤞
Firouzja is looking unstoppable right now. Beating Carlsen and then Pragg in classical - that's world number one form. The way he builds pressure in the middlegame is impressive. Indian players need to step up their opening preparation against him. Tough tournament so far for the Indian contingent.
So proud of Divya Deshmukh! Coming from India and beating top players like Ju Wenjun and Humpy back-to-back - that takes serious guts. She's only 18 and already making waves. And let's not forget Pragg and Gukesh are still so young - this experience will only make them stronger. Indian chess is on the rise!
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