Heard of Battle of Hafrsfjord ?
A proud day for the Nation
– once a tongue-twister of a name R.
Praggnanandhaa... is most written name now.
The chess world and fans have gotten used to it as the Indian
Grandmaster just keeps winning titles and accolades.
It is indeed a fairy-tale finish at Oslo. Praggnanandhaa said conscious effort to play faster helped in Norway Chess 2026 title win. After two losses midway through the tournament and being relegated to last place on the leaderboard, Praggnanandhaa staged a remarkable turnaround to win the title. He defeated Germany's Vincent Keymer in the 10th and final round of the classical event, securing the top prize of $100,000. On his way to the title, Praggnanandhaa also registered impressive wins over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and compatriot D Gukesh.
Oslo is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. During the Viking Age, the area was part of Viken. Oslo was founded as a city at the end of the Viking Age in 1040 under the name Ánslo, and established as a kaupstad or trading place in 1048 by Harald Hardrada. After being destroyed by a fire in 1624, during the reign of King Christian IV, a new city was built closer to Akershus Fortress and named Christiania in honour of the king. In 1925, the city, after incorporating the village retaining its former name, was renamed 'Oslo'.
Defeating Magnus Carlsen to the title in
his own backyard, in a tournament he has dominated, is no mean feat, and he did
it in style, winning four classical games in a row to storm to the top. “... Winning this is more special, and Magnus
was there. Also winning four in a row,” Praggnanandhaa told the Indian media
after beating Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the 10th and final round to register
a historic maiden triumph in Norway Chess 2026 at Deichman Bjorvika on Friday
night. It may or may not be the biggest title of his career thus far, but his
history-making victory was a hugely popular one. He was swarmed by fans but managed
to please them with autographs and pictures.
Norway Chess 2026 was the 14th edition of the annual chess tournament, held for the first time in Oslo, started on 25th May and ended on 5th June 2026. The field of six players featured world number one Magnus Carlsen, world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and R Praggnanandhaa. The third edition of the Norway Chess Women was also held simultaneously, featuring women's world champion Ju Wenjun. Carlsen and Anna Muzychuk were the defending champions. The Open Section was won by R Praggnanandhaa; Bibisara Assaubayeva won the women's section with a round to spare.
The tournament was a Six player, double round-robin tournaments, meaning there were 10 rounds with each player facing the others twice in classical chess. Like in previous editions, Norway Chess 2026 featured a unique system wherein players played an armageddon game in case the classical game was drawn. The time control for the classical games was 120 minutes for the entire game, with an increment of 10 seconds starting from move 41.
Norway Chess tweeted : Rameshbabu
Praggnanandhaa is the Champion. An
unforgettable edition of Norway Chess comes to a close! Praggnanandhaa clinched the title with a
crucial final-round classical victory over Vincent Keymer, while Bibisara
Assaubayeva secured the Norway Chess Women crown with one round to spare. Congratulations to all players for an
incredible tournament!
However, his journey in the tournament was
far from smooth, as he found himself at the bottom of the points table at one
stage. After starting with a win against Wesley So, Praggnanandhaa suffered
defeats against Alireza Firouzja and Gukesh. Despite the setbacks, Pragg kept
his composure and scripted a remarkable comeback to clinch the title in style.
After beating Keymer in the final round, Praggnanandhaa revealed that his
mother, Nagalakshmi, had made a striking prediction on June 1.
Bibisara Assaubayeva) is a Kazakhstani chess grandmaster. She is the reigning three-time Women's World Blitz Chess Champion. At the 2025 Sharjah Masters tournament, Assaubayeva qualified for the grandmaster title.
The Battle of Hafrsfjord was a monumental naval engagement fought between 872 AD and 900 AD that resulted in the unification of Norway under its first sole monarch, King Harald Fairhair. Fought in a fjord near modern-day Stavanger, it stands as the most famous and definitive clash of the Norwegian Viking Age. Prior to the battle, Norway was a fragmented mosaic of competing petty kingdoms, tribal territories, and regional warlords. Norway's history is defined by its transition from the legendary Viking Age of expansion to a unified kingdom. The country was first unified by Harald Fairhair in 872 AD, and later saw several formidable rulers and conquerors shape its trajectory through the Middle Ages and into modern independence.
6.6.2026
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