The grand masters are assembled, and the world number one, Magnus Carlsen, will be one of the features in Norway Chess 2026, which starts in Oslo. Crossing over the prestigious chess tournament will be held from May 25 to the third week of June, and it is considered one of the most happening elite chess events of that time.
The tournament is on the heels of the Grand Chess Tour in Romania, where several participants, such as Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja, Wesley So and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, have recently competed and now return to their post-EGT home country with only one day between the end of the first and the start of the second competition.
For the first time, Norway Chess will be hosted in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. The tournament is a double round robin, with each player playing each of his opponents twice. The open section features German topspieler, Vincent Keymer, who won the Super Chess Classic in Romania recently, along with Firouzja, Wesley So and Praggnanandhaa.
The women’s tennis also features a world-class lineup, with defending champion Anna Muzychuk, Rising Indian star Divya Deshmukh, women’s world champion Ju Wenjun, a teammate of Zhu Jiner, Bibisara Assaubayeva, and a world 46-72 all-female scorekeeper by the Swiss Community Committee (SCC).
Norway Chess is a proud launch of 2013 that has very shortly turned into one of the most professionally organized chess tournaments in the world. The event also featured some novel concepts, including Armageddon playoffs and quicker classical time limits, which boosted the level of excitement and engagement.
The tournaments will be run the same and pay the same prize, continuing the rule of equality in professional chess. The young winners from both categories will be receiving a prize of 700,000 Norwegian kroner, which is roughly €65,000. Norway Chess will be followed by two more rest days on its May 29th and June 3rd dates as the fans around the world cheer for another grand event.