The battle for the Norway Chess 2026 title is set for a thrilling finish after a dramatic Round 9 left three players firmly in contention heading into the final day in Oslo.

Tournament leader Wesley So maintained his narrow advantage after drawing his classical game against Magnus Carlsen before winning the Armageddon tiebreak to secure valuable extra points.

The standout result of the day came from Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, who defeated reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju with the black pieces. The victory earned Praggnanandhaa three points and moved him to within half a point of the tournament lead.

Meanwhile, Alireza Firouzja kept his championship hopes alive by overcoming Vincent Keymer in Armageddon after their classical game ended in a draw.

With one round remaining, Wesley So leads the standings on 15.5 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa on 15 points and Firouzja on 14.5 points, setting up a nail-biting conclusion to the tournament.

Assaubayeva seals women’s title

In the women’s competition, Bibisara Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women 2026 title with a round to spare.

Assaubayeva drew her classical game against Anna Muzychuk, who later claimed the Armageddon win. However, the result was enough to guarantee Assaubayeva an unassailable lead at the top of the standings.

The only decisive classical result in the women’s event came from Zhu Jiner, who defeated Divya Deshmukh to move into second place.

Elsewhere, Humpy Koneru and Ju Wenjun drew their classical encounter before Ju Wenjun claimed the Armageddon victory.

After Round 9, Assaubayeva tops the women’s standings with 16.5 points, ahead of Zhu Jiner on 13 points and Anna Muzychuk on 12 points.