In a dramatic twist from the chessboard to the Wild West, the world’s top chess players swapped pawns for pistols, sieves, and lassos in this year’s edition of Norway Chess Games.

Held on a tournament rest day, the tradition of light-hearted competition continued in unforgettable fashion with the “Chess Cowboy Challenge”, a high-spirited showdown in Westernbyen, a Western-themed village in Ålgård, just outside Stavanger.

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

This year’s participants was -the star-studded lineup from Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Sarasadat Khademalsharieh was unfortunately not able to join, and stepping in was Ella Carlsen, wife of Magnus, proving to be quite the sharpshooter in more ways than one.

Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Adopting their new Western personas, the players embraced the theme wholeheartedly:

Magnus “The Lone GOAT” Carlsen
Caruana “The Sicilian Sniper”
Hikaru “The Blitz Bandit” Nakamura
Arjun “No Slip” Erigaisi
Wei “The Quiet Storm” Yi
Gukesh “The Chennai Sharpshooter” D

Vaishali “The Rising Rider” Rameshbabu
Anna “Ice Veins” Muzychuk
Humpy “The Hammer” Koneru
Lei “The Lockdown” Tingjie
Ju “No-Loss” Wenjun
Ella Carlsen (stepping in as an honorary cowgirl)

With nicknames as fierce as their over-the-board styles, the competitors were more than ready to tackle the cowboy gauntlet ahead.

The Chess Cowboy Challenge took them through a series of wild tasks. They faced the Sheriff’s memory test in a jail escape, sought enlightenment by solving the priest’s riddle in the chapel, mined for gold, and tried their hand at axe throwing beside the church. Air rifles, lasso tosses, cowboy quizzes at the pleasure house, and classic horseshoe throws added to the flavor of the day, with real horses roaming the scene for that authentic atmosphere.

Each team, made up of one male and one female player, competed across all stations as they worked their way through the village.

Photos: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Final Standings:

1st place: Magnus & Ella Carlsen — crowned Chess Sheriffs

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

2nd place: Hikaru Nakamura & Anna Muzychuk

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

3rd place: Fabiano Caruana & Vaishali Rameshbabu

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

4th place: Gukesh D & Ju Wenjun

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

5th place: Wei Yi & Lei Tingjie

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

6th place: Arjun Erigaisi & Humpy Koneru

Photo: Norway Chess / Tor Nilssen & Kjetil V. Tveito

The celebration wrapped up with a grand Western-style barbecue featuring a rich spread of meats, seafood, salads, and even paella. With the challenges behind them, players, crew and the organizers alike kicked back to enjoy the food, the sun, and each other’s company.

A massive thank you to the team at Westernbyen, the All Western Cowboys: The Sheriff, Zeb Hunter, Monique, Mrs. R. Hunter, Little Joe, Jack O’Mally, John, Billy, Penny, and Blueberry.

About Norway Chess Games

Norway Chess Games is an annual tradition held during the tournament’s rest day. It gives the world’s best players a break from intense competition and a chance to connect in creative, unexpected ways. Previous editions have included:

• Chess Chefs– a culinary battle where players cooked for top chefs
• Cake Decorating Challenge– full of icing, sprinkles, and strategy
• Farmer for a Day– featuring hand-milking cows and driving tractors
• Design Your Own Knit Sweater– where players designed patterns later hand-knitted into real sweaters as unique keepsakes

Until next year!

Photos by Norway Chess / Michal Walusza can be found on Flickr.