Oslo, Jan 13 After thirteen years in Stavanger, Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women will be hosted in Oslo, with Deichman Bjorvika acting as the primary venue, the organisers said on Tuesday.
The event is scheduled from May 25 to June 5. Since its inception in 2013, Stavanger has hosted Norway Chess.
“Norway Chess would not have become the event it is today without the cross-party political support and the generous welcome we have received in Stavanger. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the City of Stavanger, which has stood by us all the way, especially in the development of Norway Chess Women, a pioneering women’s tournament with equal prize conditions," said Kjell Madland, founder and CEO of Norway Chess.
Norway Chess will be held for the 14th time, and Norway Chess Women for the 3rd time. Carlsen has taken part in every edition and has won seven of them.
“We see great opportunities in establishing Norway Chess in the nation’s capital. Oslo is an international meeting place and gives us a unique opportunity to reach an even wider audience, among spectators, partners, and new generations of chess enthusiasts,” says Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norway Chess.
Magnus Carlsen is the first player to publicly confirm his participation in Norway Chess 2026. The organisers' remaining participants will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the line-up for Norway Chess Women.
Founded in 2013 with the ambition to bring together the world’s best chess players. Over the years, it has consistently attracted the world’s best players, including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Alireza Firouzja.
Since 2024, the tournament has also welcomed leading female players such as Ju Wenjun, Anna Muzychuk, and Humpy Koneru.
In total, 18 of the highest-rated players in chess history have competed in Norway Chess.
Norway Chess combines classical games with faster time controls and Armageddon tiebreaks to ensure that every match has a winner.
Six players compete in each tournament — Norway Chess and Norway Chess Women. Double round-robin, ten rounds in total. Each player faces every other player twice — once with white, once with black.
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