OSLO (Norway), June 1 (H.S.): The sixth round of Norway Chess 2026 delivered high drama and excitement, with all three classical games in the open section producing decisive results on Sunday in Oslo, making the race for the title even more compelling.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen secured a crucial victory over tournament leader Alireza Firouzja. Playing with the white pieces, Carlsen gradually built up pressure in a strategic battle and successfully converted his advantage in the endgame. The victory brought him closer to the leaders in the standings, while Firouzja suffered his first classical defeat of the tournament.

In the second game, Wesley So defeated Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa after a hard-fought encounter. So handled the complex positions more effectively and capitalized on his opportunities in the endgame to claim the full three points. With this victory, the American grandmaster moved to the top of the standings.

The third decisive result of the day came when Germany’s Vincent Keymer overcame reigning World Champion D Gukesh. Keymer maintained the initiative throughout the contest and took full advantage of his chances to secure an important victory against the world champion.

Following the sixth round, Wesley So leads the Norway Chess 2026 standings, while Alireza Firouzja remains close behind. The race for the title remains completely open with several rounds still to be played.

Norway Chess Women's Tournament: Bibisara Assaubayeva Takes Sole Lead

The women’s section also witnessed intense competition. One classical game produced a decisive result, while the other two encounters were settled through Armageddon tie-breaks.

Reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun registered the only classical victory of the day by defeating India’s Divya Deshmukh after a prolonged battle. Ju gradually improved her position and converted her advantage into a full-point victory in the endgame.

The classical game between Bibisara Assaubayeva and India’s Koneru Humpy ended in a draw. However, Assaubayeva prevailed in the subsequent Armageddon tie-break, earning an extra point and reclaiming sole leadership of the tournament.

Meanwhile, the classical encounter between Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner also finished level. Zhu Jiner went on to win the Armageddon tie-break and secured the additional point.

After six rounds, Bibisara Assaubayeva leads the women’s standings with 9.5 points. Divya Deshmukh occupies second place with 8.5 points, while Ju Wenjun and Anna Muzychuk are jointly placed third with eight points each.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar