Pragg bounces back in style

Wesley So remains the sole leader at the Norway Chess super-tournament after Monday's round seven, increasing his advantage at the top to 2½ points. The US grandmaster, who entered the round after claiming back-to-back classical wins, was under pressure in his classical game against world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, but held the draw and then lost the Armageddon decider.

So's closest rival, Alireza Firouzja, lost ground for a second day in a row. After leading the tournament throughout the event's first half, the French representative suffered a second consecutive classical defeat, this time against Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.

How to attack - principles of training

Most players prefer to attack rather than defend. But what is the correct way to do it? GM Dr Karsten Müller has compiled many rules and motifs to guide you, along with sharpening your intuition for the exceptions.

The remaining matchup of the day saw Magnus Carlsen use the King's Indian Defence with black against Vincent Keymer. The classical game was well played by both sides and ended in a 57-move draw. In the tiebreaker, Keymer had one opportunity to create a more imbalanced position in the early middlegame, but once he missed it, Carlsen was able to simplify without difficulty and secure the draw he needed.

With three rounds to go, So leads the standings, 2½ points ahead of Firouzja. A point behind the French grandmaster are Carlsen, Keymer and Pragg, while Gukesh is last, another point further back. In round eight, the two frontrunners will have the white pieces: So faces Keymer, while Firouzja meets Gukesh.

Round 7 results

Standings after round 7

In the one classical game that ended decisively, Pragg built a clear advantage on the clock, which became important when the position sharpened in the critical phase. The key moment came when the Indian grandmaster found 35.Ra1!, a tactical resource that first gave him the advantage and then allowed him to convert the full three points.

Praggnanandhaa 1-0 Firouzja (Classical)

Fritz 21

YOUR PERSONAL CHESS COACH - Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.
FRITZ is more than just a chess engine – it’s a training revolution! Whether you’re taking your first steps into the world of club chess, or already playing at a tournament level: with FRITZ, you can train more efficiently, intelligently and with a more personalised approach than ever before.

By this point in the game, Alireza Firouzja already knew he was in trouble | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu came from suffering two painful losses in classical games | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

The tournament leader faced an inspired Gukesh in the classical game, with the world champion finding a few remarkable moves in a complex middlegame. His 28.Kf1! was particularly strong, defending the rook on e1 and thus dealing with the pin on the e-file.

Unfortunately for Gukesh, his in-form opponent never stopped playing quickly and confidently. As time trouble became an increasingly relevant factor, So not only restored the balance but seemed to have chances to take over the initiative. Still, the Filipino-born GM ended up accepting his opponent's draw offer on move 40, when the position was objectively balanced, but Gukesh had 1 minute to So's 19.

In the tiebreaker, Gukesh played enterprisingly to create winning chances out of an English Opening. So missed a critical idea on move 23 - when he was, perhaps, too eager to force a quick draw - and soon found himself in a clearly worse position.

Gukesh 1-0 So (Armageddon)

Understanding Middlegame Strategy Vol.14 Reversed Colour Systems – Benoni, Blumenfeld and Benko Gambit

You will learn how Black's dynamic piece activity and structural counterplay more than compensate for White's extra tempo in the colour-reversed setups.
The Benoni family of openings has toppled world champions, decided match games under the highest pressure, and rewarded those brave enough to play them with some of the most electrifying chess imaginable. In this Fritztrainer, Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov -  continuing his successful series "Understanding Middlegame Structures" - takes you deep inside the complexities of the Colour-Reversed Benoni, the Colour-Reversed Benko Gambit, and the Colour-Reversed Blumenfeld Gambit.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Colour Reversed Banoni - Game 1

Elite GMs discussing variations right after their game - Gukesh Dommaraju and Wesley So | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

A smiling world champion | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

After spending 15 minutes on the first two moves of the game, Carlsen chose to play the King's Indian Defence against Keymer. Correct play by both sides led to a draw.

In the rapid-chess tiebreaker, Keymer missed the one opportunity he had to create an imbalanced position. Carlsen was then able to simplify and secure the draw he needed to collect the extra half point.

Keymer ½-½ Carlsen (Armageddon)

Master Class Vol.20 - Bent Larsen

In this video course experts examine the games of Bent Larsen. Let them show you which openings Larsen chose, where his strength in middlegames were, how he outplayed his opponents in the endgame & you’ll get a glimpse of his tactical abilities!
Bent Larsen (1935–2010) was the greatest chess player in Danish history, and for a time, the second-strongest player in the Western world behind Bobby Fischer. Between 1954 and 1971, he won the Danish Championship six times, and achieved numerous international tournament victories throughout his career. 
Free video sample: Introduction to Bent Larsen by Peter Heine Nielsen
Free video sample: Introduction to the Opening Section

Vincent Keymer | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

Magnus Carlsen | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza

All games - Classical

All games - Armageddon

Links

• Official website
• Norway Chess announces move to Oslo for 2026 edition
• Endgame Magic with Praggnanandhaa