Norway Chess 2026 once again brings together some of the world’s strongest chess players for an exciting new edition — this year hosted 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, where all participants face each other twice.
The Armageddon format ensures a decisive result in every round, adding an extra level of excitement for players and spectators alike. If a classical game ends in a draw, the players immediately compete in an Armageddon game to determine the winner.
The full list of participants in both tournaments — Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women — will be published below. Additional player announcements will follow in the coming weeks.
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 (January 2026): 2840
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 (January 2026): 2758
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 (January 2026): 2776
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 (January 2026): 2497
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 (January 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 (January 2026): 2497