Sports Desk: Indian chess stars delivered a strong performance in Round 7 of the Norway Chess 2026 tournament, with Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa securing a vital classical victory and World Champion D. Gukesh bouncing back with an Armageddon win to stay in contention in the prestigious event. Praggnanandhaa produced one of the standout performances of the day by defeating French Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the classical format. The victory handed Firouzja only his second classical defeat of the tournament and tightened the race for the title.
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Gukesh, meanwhile, drew his classical game against American Grandmaster Wesley So before prevailing in the Armageddon tie-break. Although the reigning world champion missed opportunities to secure a full classical win, the extra point helped keep his campaign alive with three rounds remaining. In the women’s section, rising Indian star Divya Deshmukh edged past compatriot Koneru Humpy in an Armageddon battle after their classical encounter ended in a draw. The result further strengthened Divya’s impressive run in the tournament and kept her among the leading contenders.
The latest round marked a significant turnaround for the Indian contingent after a difficult previous day, when several Indian players had suffered setbacks. With only a few rounds left in the tournament, the victories by Praggnanandhaa, Gukesh and Divya have added fresh excitement to India’s challenge in one of the world’s strongest chess events. Norway Chess 2026, being held in Oslo, has witnessed intense competition among some of the world’s highest-rated players, with the title race remaining wide open heading into the final stages.
