While several important games ended peacefully in Round 8 of Norway Chess 2024, the games were anything but calm. With top players facing off in high-stakes games, the outcomes of this round have set the stage for an exciting conclusion to the tournament.
In the Norway Chess tournament, one of the highly anticipated games was the battle between Praggnanandhaa and Magnus Carlsen. The game ended in a draw, as Praggnanandhaa defended well in a slightly worse endgame.
Credits: Norway Chess / Stev Bonhage
One of the most complicated games of the day was between Alireza Firouzja and Hikaru Nakamura, who sacrificed a pawn in the opening and maintained the initiative throughout the game. However, Firouzja managed to defend well under time pressure, finding the only moves to keep the game alive.
Credits: Norway Chess / Stev Bonhage
The game between Ding Liren and Fabiano Caruana also ended in a draw, despite Ding Liren’s slight advantage after the opening phase.
Credits: Norway Chess / Stev Bonhage
The Norway Chess Women tournament led to the only classical wins of the day. World Champion Ju Wenjun, playing as White, won her game against Pia Cramling, jumping ahead as the leader in the tournament.
Credits: Norway Chess / Stev Bonhage
In another decisive game, Lei Tingjie won against Humpy Koneru, effectively ending Humpy’s chances of winning the tournament.
Credits: Norway Chess / Stev Bonhage
The game between Anna Muzychuk and Vaishali Rameshbabu ended in a draw, as Vaishali showed good defensive skills to save the game in a slightly worse position. In the Armageddon tiebreak, Vaishali took the extra points in an exciting game that went into time scramble.
Credits: Norway Chess / Stev Bonhage
Stay tuned for the final two rounds of Norway Chess 2024 on 6th and 7th June, with spectacular chess performances from the world’s top players as the tournament comes to an end.