World Champion D Gukesh got his first classical win of the ongoing Norway Chess 2026 as he defeated compatriot R Praggnanandhaa in Round 5. The win helped Gukesh jump to third in the points table while Praggnanandhaa slipped to fourth. Gukesh forced checkmate on the board after 47 moves, prompting Praggnanandhaa to resign.
Given that Gukesh had failed to win a single classical game in the Norway Chess 2026, he was clearly relieved after the win. Earlier, he had defeated Vincent Keymer in Round 1 courtesy of an Armageddon tie-break.
World Champion Gukesh beats Pragg with a BEAUTIFUL sequence 🤩 #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/xegYDIENft
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 30, 2026
Meanwhile, Round 5 turned out to be a thriller, with three classical game wins for players with black pieces and only one draw. Alireza Firouzja, who sits at the top with two wins and three draws, including two Armageddon victories, continued his strong run. He let go of a chance against Vincent Keymer in the classical game, but won in Armageddon, extending his lead at the top.
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Wesley So, who is second at the table, also had a good day and stunned the five-time champion, Magnus Carlsen. It has been a season to forget for the Norwegian champion, who slipped to the bottom of the table after losing three out of the five games.
Points Table
| Player | Wins | Losses | Armageddon wins | Draws | Points |
| Alireza Firouzja | 2 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| Wesley So | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8.5 |
| D Gukesh | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6.5 |
| R. Praggnanandhaa | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Vincent Keymer | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Magnus Carlsen | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4.5 |
Divya Continues To Shine At Norway Chess
Meanwhile, Divya Deshmukh continues to shine at Norway Chess and retained her top position after a draw against China’s Zhu Jiner in Round 5. Bibisara Assaubayeva, meanwhile, played a draw against Anna Muzychuk, with the latter winning the Armageddon later. The win over Zhu Jiner helped Divya solidify her position at the top with 8.5 points, while Bibisara occupied second position with 8.0 points. Anna Muzychuk is third with 7.0 points, followed by Jiner in fourth place with 5.5 points. Reigning Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun sits fifth with 5.0 points, while veteran Indian GM Koneru Humpy is at the bottom with 4.5 points.