Norway Chess Women: Deshmukh takes the lead

by Martina Gerdts
5/31/2026 – Divya Deshmukh scored a win with black in her classical game against Zhu Jiner in round five of the Norway Chess Women tournament. Deshmukh overtook former sole leader Bibisara Assaubayeva in the standings. Assaubayeva herself drew against Anna Muzychuk and lost in Armageddon. Deshmukh leads the field with 8½ points, followed by Assaubayeva on 8 points. In the duel between Ju Wenjun and Humpy Koneru, the Indian GM won the Armageddon game. | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
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Muzychuk beats Assaubayeva in Armageddon

There is a head-to-head race in the Norway Chess women's tournament. With a half-point lead, Divya Deshmukh has overtaken her rival Bibisara Assaubayeva at the top of the standings. However, the Indian player cannot afford to rest on that half-point advantage. In Round 6, she will have to face Ju Wenjun, the reigning World Champion.

The decisive factor in the current standings was above all Deshmukh's victory in the classical game against Zhu Jiner, which earned her 3 points.

Round 5 results

White Result Black
Zhu Jiner 0 - 3 Divya Deshmukh
Anna Muzychuk 1½ - 1 Bibisara Assaubayeva
Ju Wenjun 1 - 1½ Humpy Koneru

Standings after round 5

Player Rating Federation Points
Divya Deshmukh 2500 India 8½
Bibisara Assaubayeva 2527 Kazakhstan 8
Anna Muzychuk 2522 Ukraine 7
Zhu Jiner 2546 China 5½
Ju Wenjun 2559 China 5
Humpy Koneru 2535 India 4½

Zhu 0 - 3 Deshmukh

In the crucial game of the round, Zhu and Deshmukh transposed into an endgame with a minor piece and a rook per side. Deshmukh had a knight and an extra pawn, while Zhu's minor piece was a bishop. In time trouble, both players missed chances. The game swung at several moments from equality to an advantage for Black.

The players had to make do with the time added by the increment, and therefore could not spend long periods calculating.

The end of the game became foreseeable when White no longer had any useful moves. The white pawn had advanced too far, the king was cut off, and the bishop no longer had any good moves available.

In this position, there was already nothing left for White to get. The engine suggests playing f5-f6 instead of 82.Ba2. That pawn is also simply captured, and Black wins in the long run.

The classical games between Anna Muzychuk and Bibisara Assaubayeva, and between Ju Wenjun and Humpy Koneru, both ended in draws. The decision then came in Armageddon. Muzychuk won with white against Assaubayeva, which meant that Assaubayeva finished behind Deshmukh in the standings. Koneru won with black against Ju. Koneru still needs half a point to catch Ju in penultimate place.

Humpy Koneru is slowly catching up | Photo: Michal Walusza / Norway Chess

All games - Classical

All games - Armageddon

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Topics: Divya Deshmukh, Norway Chess 2026
Martina Gerdts studied Portuguese and Spanish linguistics and nowadays teaches language classes and writes about chess and languages. Having started playing chess for a tournament trip to Paris, she is now active not only as a player but in a diverse range of activities connected to chess. This includes among others teaching chess classes, writing about chess and being active as an arbiter.
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Norway Chess Women: Leader Assaubayeva defeats Ju in Armageddon

5/29/2026 – Bibisara Assaubayeva has a 1½-point lead at Norway Chess Women going into the rest day after drawing her classical game against Ju Wenjun and then winning the Armageddon decider. All three classical games in round four were drawn, with Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner also prevailing in the tiebreaks. Assaubayeva's first-round win remains the tournament's only decisive classical result so far. | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
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Norway Chess Women: Deshmukh beats Assaubayeva in Armageddon

5/28/2026 – Bibisara Assaubayeva kept the lead at Norway Chess Women after drawing her classical game against Divya Deshmukh, but her advantage was reduced when Desmukh won their Armageddon decider. All three classical games in round three were drawn, with Anna Muzychuk and Zhu Jiner also prevailing in the tiebreaks. Assaubayeva's round-one win remains the tournament's only decisive classical result so far. | Photo: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza
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