Norway Chess: Koneru Humpy to join Divya Deshmukh, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa at Oslo event

Humpy is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished female players of her generation. She made history in 2002 when, at just 15 years old, she became the first Indian woman to earn the Grandmaster title

A two-time World Rapid Champion, two-time bronze medallist in the same format and a silver in World Blitzs, Koneru Humpy is clearly one of the best in the world in shorter formats. (PHOTO: FIDE via Anna Shtourman)

By: Sports Desk

3 min readFeb 12, 2026 06:04 PM IST First published on: Feb 12, 2026 at 06:03 PM IST

Koneru Humpy will join the likes of Divya Deshmukh, world champion Gukesh D and Praggnanandhaa to compete at the Norway Chess tournament this year in Oslo. This will be Humpy’s third appearance in the Norway Chess Women tournament.

Joining Humpy in Norway Chess Women are reigning women’s world champion Ju Wenjun, reigning champion of Norway Chess Women Anna Muzychuk, and the reigning Women’s World Blitz Champion Bibisara Assaubayeva. The final female player to compete at Norway Chess Women will be revealed soon.

“I’m really happy to be part of Norway Chess Women. It’s a tournament I’ve always enjoyed, not only because of the high level of competition but also the warm atmosphere and excellent organization. I’m looking forward to playing in Oslo and competing against some of the world’s strongest players,” Humpy was quoted as saying in the release by Norway Chess announcing her participation.

Humpy will be one of the eight contenders to compete at the Women’s Candidates today.

Humpy is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished female players of her generation. She made history in 2002 when, at just 15 years old, she became the first Indian woman to earn the Grandmaster title, and at the time, the youngest female grandmaster in history.

Her rise continued in 2007 when she became only the second woman ever to cross the 2600 Elo rating mark, a milestone that underlined her place among the world’s elite.

In recent years, Humpy has remained firmly in the global spotlight. She is a two-time Women’s World Rapid Champion (2019, 2024), and in 2025 she finished runner-up at the FIDE Women’s World Cup, securing qualification for the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament and keeping her ambitions for the world title very much alive.

“Humpy has been at the very top for a long time, and that says a lot. Very few players manage to stay at that level while still pushing for the biggest titles year after year. She adds real strength to the field, and we’re very happy to welcome her back to Norway Chess Women,” Benedicte Westre Skog, COO of Norway Chess, said.

The Norway Chess Women tournament, launched in 2024, is the world’s first fully equal super tournament for women in chess, staged in parallel with the main Norway Chess event. The tournament features the same format, number of players, playing conditions and prize fund as the open event, setting a new benchmark for gender equality in professional chess.

This year, Norway Chess features five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, Germany’s number one Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja besides the Indian duo of Gukesh and Pragg.

Norway Chess is one of the world’s premier chess tournaments, bringing together the top male and female players in a distinctive 6-player double round-robin format. The introduction of Norway Chess Women in 2024, with equal prize funds for men and women, underscores the event’s commitment to gender equality and innovation in the sport. Norway Chess 2026 will take place from May 25 to 5 June at Deichman Bjørvika in Oslo.