Norway Chess

2025: The Year in Review

Back 17.12.2025
2025 has been a year of progress for Norway Chess – both as a tournament and in the broader work we’re doing to help grow the game.

We’ve expanded our global reach and strengthened our presence across multiple platforms. This year saw:

  • 200+ hours of live TV coverage, reaching 2.5 million viewers worldwide during the tournament

  • 342 hours of streaming content, with 24 million cumulative views during the tournament

  • 700+ million views across our own social media channels

  • More than 6000 articles in India and the UAE, with a PR value of €25.35 million

  • 900+ national articles in Norway, reinforcing local brand presence

  • Coverage in leading international outlets including BBC, The Guardian, The New York Times, and NBC News

In April, we held press conferences in Dubai and Mumbai, and more recently returned from a second visit to India, where we had a full schedule of exciting meetings and conversations about the future of chess. These trips, and the growing international media footprint, have helped open new doors and set the stage for what’s next.

A Tournament That Delivered, Once Again

The 13th edition of Norway Chess wrapped up on June 6, delivering another strong year of competition. Magnus Carlsen claimed his seventh title, while Anna Muzychuk took home the 2025 Norway Chess Women’s title after a consistent and well-played performance.

One of the tournament’s standout moments came in Round 6, when Magnus Carlsen faced Gukesh D. in their first classical game since Gukesh became World Champion – a highly anticipated match that ended with a win for Gukesh. This single moment generated over 271 million views, with a total watch time reaching 108 years, 299 days, and 13.7 hours on our social media channels.

The tournament stayed competitive right up to the final round, with fans around the world closely following the action.

For the second year running, Norway Chess Women took place alongside the main event, using the same format and offering an equal prize fund. The tournament week also featured a full line-up of side events, including Norway Chess Open, the school teams tournament, Norway Chess Games, and Norway Summit.

2025 Norway Chess & Norway Chess Women Players | Photo: Michal Walusza

Norway Chess Open 2025 | Photo: Roza Czarnota

Norway Chess Games 2025 | Photo: Michal Walusza

Norway Chess School Teams Tournament | Photo: Roza Czarnota

This year’s Norway Summit gathered thought leaders, innovators, and changemakers at Fiskepiren in Stavanger for a day of engaging discussions and bold ideas. The one-day conference delivered a dynamic mix of economic perspectives, personal stories, and global challenges, framed through both traditional expertise and creative thinking. Speakers included Viswanathan Anand, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Leontxo García, James Altucher, Thorir Hergeirsson, Øystein Eriksen Søreide, Øystein Olsen, Ola Kvaløy, Eirik Mofoss, Danny Rensch, and Natasha Abbas.

Read more about this year’s conference here.

Photo: Roza Czarnota

Photo: Roza Czarnota

Growing the Team

This year, we also spent time building the team behind the scenes.

We welcomed Niki Riga as Social Media Manager and Laura García as Event Manager, adding valuable experience across both marketing and event operations.

A New Chapter: Total Chess World Championship Tour

One of the key projects we continued working on this year was the Total Chess World Championship Tour – a new world championship concept developed by Norway Chess and approved by FIDE. The first pilot tournament is planned for October 2026, with the full tour starting in 2027.

The goal of the tour is to bring together multiple formats of chess into one competition, to crown the FIDE World Combined Champion and make top-level chess more accessible and engaging for a global audience. Over the past year, we’ve focused on shaping the concept and making progress through planning, conversations, and collaboration with people across the chess world.

Looking Ahead

2025 has been a year of steady progress and planning. Work is already underway for Norway Chess 2026, as well as the next phase of the Total Chess project.

Our focus remains on delivering strong, well-run competitions, exploring new ideas, and continuing to build valuable connections globally. 

Thanks to everyone who’s been part of Norway Chess this year – players, fans, partners, and all those who support the game. We’re grateful for the continued trust and enthusiasm, and we’re looking forward to building on that in the year ahead.