Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa defeated Vincent Keymer in the final round on June 5 to claim the Norway Chess 2026 title in Oslo, finishing with 18 points and becoming the first Indian champion.
R. Praggnanandhaa secured the victory at Deichman Bjorvika after winning four classical games in a row. This included defeats of Alireza Firouzja, Magnus Carlsen and D. Gukesh. The 20-year-old had slipped to last place mid-tournament after two consecutive losses. He then climbed the standings with a strong finish. “I didn’t think about this when I lost two games in a row—I just wanted to play chess,” Praggnanandhaa said after the win. Wesley So ended second on 17 points after a draw with Firouzja. Praggnanandhaa also beat Carlsen earlier in the event for a double victory over the world number one. Magnus Carlsen defeated Gukesh in the final round to finish with 13 points.
