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India's R Praggnanandhaa thinks about his next move during a game in Tata Steel Chess India in Kolkata. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
Two years after he first defeated Magnus Carlsen in a classical game, R Praggnanandhaa will return to the Norway Chess this year. And while the event will be hosted in the Norwegian capital of Oslo this year instead of the traditional host city of Stavanger, Carlsen has also confirmed his participation at Norway Chess, which will possibly be his only foray into classical chess this year.
Praggnanandhaa was not in action at Norway Chess last year with organisers extending invites to newly-minted world champion Gukesh Dommaraju and Arjun Erigaisi for the 2025 edition.
“Looking forward to be back in Norway Chess, I enjoyed playing in 2024. Most exciting format I have played!” Praggnanandhaa was quoted as saying in the press release by the organisers on Tuesday. Pragg was handed an invitation to the 2026 tournament—which has a reputation for assembling one of the strongest line-ups year after year—after a highflying 2025, where he won multiple events like Tata Steel Masters, the Superbet Chess Classic Romania, and the Uzchess Cup, besides ending with a joint-first finish at the Stepan Avagyan Memorial and the Sinquefield Cup.
Praggnandhaa is currently competing at the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, where he has started without a win in four rounds, with two defeats and two draws.
This will be the third time Praggnanandhaa will compete at Norway Chess. In 2022, he won the Norway Chess Open event, rather than the elite event which features six of the top players in the world.
So far, the Norway Chess organisers have confirmed only two of the players that will take part in the six-player event. Meanwhile, Bibisara Assaubayeva will make her debut this year in the Norway Chess Women event that is held along side the open event.
This year, Norway Chess will be held from May 25 to 5 June at Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo.
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