Norway Chess, Day 7: Wins for Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh; Divya Edges Humpy

Norway Chess, Day 7: It was a day to remember for India's top Chess stars in Oslo. Indian GM Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu beat Alireza Firouzja in classical play, and world champion D Gukesh defeated Wesley So in Armageddon as Norway Chess round seven kept the title race tight. After a long grind, Praggnanandhaa converted his advantage against Firouzja with composure to secure a crucial win. The outcome squeezes the leaderboard and sends Firouzja to his second classical defeat of Norway Chess.

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On the other hand, World Champion Gukesh and Wesley also ended in a draw after a tense battle. The Indian went on to win the Armageddon game, collecting the additional points. World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Vincent Keymer shared a hard-fought classical draw after a long game with no breakthrough. Carlsen then won the Armageddon to take the bonus points and stay close to the leaders.

Round seven leaves Wesley So out front with 12.5 points. Firouzja holds second with 10 points, and Carlsen, Keymer, and Praggnanandhaa sit just behind on 9 points each.

In the women’s section, Humpy Koneru and Divya Deshmukh ended in a draw after a tense classical game. Divya then won the Armageddon game with the black pieces, securing the extra points and strengthening her position as Assaubayeva’s closest challenger.

Bibisara Assaubayeva produced the biggest result of the day in Norway Chess Women, scoring a classical victory to extend her lead at the top of the standings.

Open Tournament Standings

Wesley So: 12.5 points  
Alireza Firouzja: 10 points  
Magnus Carlsen: 9 points  
Vincent Keymer: 9 points  
R Praggnanandhaa: 9 points  
Gukesh Dommaraju: 8 points

Women’s Tournament Standings

Bibisara Assaubayeva: 12.5 points  
Divya Deshmukh: 10 points  
Anna Muzychuk: 9.5 points  
Ju Wenjun: 9 points  
Zhu Jiner: 7 points  
Koneru Humpy: 6.5 points