Norway Chess

Norway Chess is one of the most prestigious annual chess super-tournaments in the world. Held in Stavanger, Norway each May and June, it consistently assembles the strongest possible field, including Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, Alireza Firouzja, and other top-ranked players.

What sets Norway Chess apart from other elite events is its Armageddon tiebreak system. When a classical game ends in a draw, both players immediately play a shorter Armageddon game to decide the winner. White gets 10 minutes, Black gets 7, with a 1-second increment after move 41. A draw in Armageddon goes to Black. This means every round produces a decisive result, keeping the standings live and eliminating the anticlimactic nature of classical draws.

The tournament follows a double round-robin format with six players per event. Both the Open and Women's tournaments run simultaneously at the same venue with equal prize funds of NOK 1,690,000 each. The Women's event features the same Armageddon format and an equally elite field.

Norway Chess is also the anchor event of the Total Chess World Championship Tour, a new FIDE-approved circuit designed to crown a world champion across multiple top-tier events throughout the season.