Norway Chess 2026 once again unites the world’s strongest chess players for another thrilling edition — this year making its debut in the capital, Oslo.
Both tournaments, Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women, share the same format, prize fund, and playing venue. Each tournament follows a double round-robin format with six players, meaning every participant faces each other twice.
The Armageddon format guarantees a decisive result in every round, bringing an extra layer of excitement for players and spectators alike. Should a classical game end in a draw, the two players immediately go head-to-head in an Armageddon game to determine the winner.
See the full list of participants for both Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women below.
Magnus Carlsen has been World’s No.1 since July 2011. He is a 5-time World Champion in classical chess, the reigning 6-time World Rapid Champion, and the reigning 9-time World Blitz Champion. Additionally, he is a 7-time Norway Chess Champion.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2840
Germany’s number one, Vincent Keymer, joins the Norway Chess field for the first time. Over the past year, Vincent has made one of the biggest climbs into the world’s top tier, rising from World No.20 in January 2025 to World No.4 as of January 2026, gaining more than 40 rating points along the way. A runner-up at the 2022 FIDE World Rapid Championship, Vincent has firmly established himself among the world’s top players.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2776
Alireza Firouzja, the youngest player ever to reach a 2800 rating, will compete at Norway Chess 2026. A grandmaster at 14, Firouzja became the second-youngest 2700-rated player in history at 16. He has qualified for the FIDE Candidates twice, first by winning the FIDE Grand Swiss 2021, and again via the January 2024 FIDE rating list.
Norway Chess is familiar ground for Firouzja. He has competed four times, finishing runner-up in 2020 and 2021.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2759
Praggnanandhaa R is one of the leading stars of India’s new generation and a 2026 Candidates qualifier after winning the 2025 FIDE Circuit.
He became a grandmaster at just 12 years and 10 months, and first made global headlines two years earlier as the youngest International Master in history. He later became the youngest player ever to reach a FIDE World Cup final, earning qualification for the 2024 Candidates.
At Norway Chess 2024, Praggnanandhaa claimed his first classical win over Magnus Carlsen. He was part of India’s gold medal team at the 2024 Chess Olympiad and climbed to a career-high world ranking of number four with a peak rating of 2785.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2758
World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju joins the Norway Chess 2026 field. In 2024, he won the Candidates Tournament and went on to defeat the then World Champion Ding Liren, becoming the youngest undisputed World Champion in chess history.
Gukesh D is the youngest player ever to cross the 2750 rating mark and earned the Grandmaster title at 12, the third-youngest in history. At the Chess Olympiad, he has delivered standout performances for India, winning individual gold on board one in 2022, followed by both team gold and individual gold on board one in 2024.
At Norway Chess 2025, he scored his first classical win against Magnus Carlsen, in the game that ended with the table slam moment.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2754
A former World No. 2 and one of the most consistent elite players, Wesley So has been a permanent presence at the very top of the game. He crossed 2800 and recorded a 67-game unbeaten streak in classical chess between 2016 and 2017.
He is the FIDE World Fischer Random Champion (2019), a three-time US Champion, Olympiad gold medalist with the United States and a multiple-time winner of elite international tournaments.
Known for his precision, control and deep preparation, he rarely gives chances away and is always in contention.
The 2026 edition will mark his sixth appearance at Norway Chess.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2753
Zhu Jiner makes her Norway Chess Women debut. From World No. 10 to World No. 2 in just eight months. In February 2025, Zhu was Women’s World No. 10. By October 2025, she had risen to World No. 2, where she remains today.
She won the FIDE Women’s Grand Prix Series 2024–2025, tying for first place in all three tournaments she played. The overall Grand Prix victory secured her qualification for the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026.
Last year, she competed in the Norway Chess Open. This year, she steps into Norway Chess Women for the first time, facing the very best in the world.
Photo by Lennart Ootes.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2758
The reigning Women’s World Champion, Ju Wenjun, returns to Norway Chess Women.
A five time Women’s World Champion in classical chess, she has held the world title since 2018. Ju Wenjun is also a three time world champion in fast chess, winning the Women’s World Rapid Championship in 2017 and 2018, and the Women’s World Blitz Championship in 2024. In March 2017, she became the fifth woman in history to surpass a 2600 rating.
Norway Chess Women has been familiar ground from the very start. Ju has played every edition of the event so far and won the inaugural Norway Chess Women in 2024.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2559
A former Women’s World Championship challenger, Humpy Koneru is one of the most accomplished players in chess. In 2002, at 15, she became the first Indian woman to earn the GM title and the youngest female grandmaster at the time. In 2007, she became the second woman in history to cross the 2600 Elo rating mark.
A two-time Women’s World Rapid Champion (2019, 2024), Koneru was runner-up of the FIDE Women’s World Cup 2025, securing qualification for the Women’s Candidates Tournament 2026. This will be her third appearance at Norway Chess Women.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2535
The reigning Norway Chess Women’s Champion is back, this time in Oslo. A three-time world champion in fast chess, Anna Muzychuk won the Women’s World Rapid Championship in 2016 and the Women’s World Blitz Championship in 2014 and 2016. She is also a Women’s World Championship finalist and one of only six women in chess history to surpass a 2600 rating.
Norway Chess is familiar ground for Anna. Runner-up in the inaugural 2024 women’s edition, she returned in 2025 to take the title and establish herself at the top of the field.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2522
Divya Deshmukh joins the Norway Chess Women field for the first time. In 2025, she won the FIDE Women’s World Cup, earning the Grandmaster title and qualifying for the Women’s Candidates 2026. At 19, she became the fourth Indian woman in history to earn the GM title. Deshmukh has won both individual and team gold with India. In Oslo, she will become the youngest player to compete at Norway Chess Women since its inception in 2024.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2497
The reigning Women’s World Blitz Champion at just 21 years old, Bibisara Assaubayeva has already claimed three world titles. She won the Women’s World Blitz crown in 2021, 2022, and 2025, establishing herself as one of the most dominant speed chess players of her generation.
Her breakthrough came in 2021, when she became the youngest Women’s World Blitz Champion in history at 17, a record officially recognized by Guinness World Records. That same year, she finished runner-up at the FIDE Women’s World Rapid Championship, proving her strength across fast formats.
2025 marked a defining year. Bibisara clinched her third World Blitz title, achieved the Grandmaster title, earned her place in the 2026 FIDE Women’s Candidates, and broke the 2500 rating barrier, reaching a peak rating of 2513.
Official FIDE rating (February 2026): 2497