Reigning champion Anna Muzychuk will return to the Norway Chess Women tournament in 2026 to defend her title. The Ukrainian grandmaster, a three-time world champion in rapid and blitz chess, aims for a second consecutive victory. The event, held in Oslo, promotes gender equality in professional chess.
Anna Muzychuk, the defending champion of the Norway Chess Women tournament, has confirmed her participation in the 2026 edition. She won the title in 2025 after finishing as runner-up in the inaugural event in 2024. Muzychuk, who has competed in both editions since the tournament's launch, has established herself as a central figure in the competition.
A three-time world champion in fast chess formats, Muzychuk secured the Women’s World Rapid Championship in 2016 and the Women’s World Blitz Championship in 2014 and 2016. She is also a former Women’s World Championship finalist and one of only six women in chess history to exceed a 2600 Elo rating.
In a statement, Muzychuk expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming event: “Norway Chess is a truly special event that combines a prestigious and challenging tournament with memorable friendly activities. I’m really looking forward to the new edition!” During her 2025 victory speech, she emphasized the tournament's value, calling it “really very important” for women’s chess.
Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norway Chess, praised Muzychuk's return: “Anna has been a key part of Norway Chess Women since the very beginning, and her level of play continues to set the standard. Having the reigning champion return adds both sporting quality and continuity to the tournament, and we’re excited to welcome her back to Oslo.”
Launched in 2024, Norway Chess Women is the world’s first fully equal super tournament for women, running parallel to the main Norway Chess event with identical format, number of players, playing conditions, and prize fund. The main tournament features a 6-player double round-robin format and brings together top players. Norway Chess 2026 is scheduled from May 25 to June 5 at Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo, underscoring the event’s commitment to gender equality and innovation in chess.
With Muzychuk back, anticipation builds for whether she can claim back-to-back titles in this growing fixture on the international calendar.
