Gukesh to play Norway Chess 2026 as reigning world champion

Reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju will compete in Norway Chess 2026, returning to one of the world’s strongest tournaments

Stavanger: Reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju will compete at Norway Chess 2026, taking his place in the field at one of the world’s strongest chess tournaments.

The Indian star comes to Oslo as the youngest undisputed world champion in the history of the game. In 2024, Gukesh won the Candidates Tournament before going on to defeat then World Champion Ding Liren, securing the world title at just 18 years old.

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“I am really happy to take part in Norway Chess again, fighting against a very strong field as always, and looking forward to all the exciting games,” said Gukesh.

His rapid rise includes several historic milestones, among them becoming the youngest player ever to cross the 2750 rating mark and earning the Grandmaster title at the age of 12, the third youngest in chess history. He has also been a key part of India’s recent success on the international stage. At the Chess Olympiad, he won individual gold on board one in 2022, followed by both team gold and individual gold on board one in 2024.

Norway Chess has already featured defining moments in Gukesh’s career. At the 2025 edition, he finished third and claimed his first classical victory over Magnus Carlsen in a dramatic game that sparked the widely shared table-slam moment and quickly became one of the tournament’s most talked-about encounters.

“Having Gukesh return to Norway Chess as reigning World Champion is something we truly value. India has become one of the strongest chess nations in the world today, and we know many fans will be following Gukesh closely. We hope chess audiences across India will tune in as he competes in Oslo in 2026,” said Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norway Chess.

In total, 18 of the highest-rated players in chess history have competed in Norway Chess, with Garry Kasparov as the only exception among the all-time greats, though he has visited the event twice.