Carlsen vs Gukesh: Norway Chess 2025 Complete Guide to Elite Tournament

The highly anticipated Norway Chess 2025 tournament is set to commence in Stavanger on Monday, featuring elite grandmasters from around the globe, including D Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen. The opening round will showcase a marquee matchup between these two chess champions.

Indian chess enthusiasts have additional reasons for excitement with Arjun Erigaisi, Humpy Koneru, and Vaishali Rameshbabu participating in the prestigious event. Here’s your comprehensive breakdown of competitors, match schedules, tournament structure, financial rewards, and viewing options for Norway Chess 2025.

Tournament Schedule and Venue

Norway Chess 2025 runs from May 26 through June 6 in Stavanger, Norway, with matches held at Finansparken. Competition begins daily at 8:30 PM IST, extending until approximately 1:30 AM. The women’s tournament occurs simultaneously in the same venue.

Competitor Lineup

Men’s Division: Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Hikaru Nakamura (USA), Gukesh D (India), Fabiano Caruana (USA), Arjun Erigaisi (India), and Wei Yi (China).

Women’s Division: Ju Wenjun (China), Lei Tingjie (China), Humpy Koneru (India), Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine), Vaishali Rameshbabu (India), and Sarasadat Khademalsharieh (Spain).

Men’s Tournament Schedule

May 26 (Round 1): Wei Yi vs Erigaisi, Caruana vs Nakamura, Carlsen vs Gukesh
May 27 (Round 2): Erigaisi vs Gukesh, Nakamura vs Carlsen, Wei Yi vs Caruana
May 28 (Round 3): Caruana vs Erigaisi, Carlsen vs Wei Yi, Gukesh vs Nakamura
May 29 (Round 4): Carlsen vs Erigaisi, Gukesh vs Caruana, Nakamura vs Wei Yi
May 31 (Round 5): Erigaisi vs Nakamura, Wei Yi vs Gukesh, Caruana vs Carlsen
June 1 (Round 6): Erigaisi vs Wei Yi, Nakamura vs Caruana, Gukesh vs Carlsen
June 2 (Round 7): Gukesh vs Erigaisi, Carlsen vs Nakamura, Caruana vs Wei Yi
June 3 (Round 8): Erigaisi vs Caruana, Wei Yi vs Carlsen, Nakamura vs Gukesh
June 5 (Round 9): Nakamura vs Erigaisi, Gukesh vs Wei Yi, Carlsen vs Caruana
June 6 (Round 10): Erigaisi vs Carlsen, Caruana vs Gukesh, Wei Yi vs Nakamura

Women’s Tournament Schedule

Round 1: Tingjie vs Ju Wenjun, Koneru vs Vaishali, Lei Tingjie vs Ju Wenjun
Round 2: Khadem vs Ju Wenjun, Vaishali vs Lei Tingjie, Muzychuk vs Koneru
Round 3: Koneru vs Khadem, Lei Tingjie vs Muzychuk, Ju Wenjun vs Vaishali
Round 4: Lei Tingjie vs Khadem, Ju Wenjun vs Koneru, Vaishali vs Muzychuk
Round 5: Khadem vs Vaishali, Muzychuk vs Ju Wenjun, Koneru vs Lei Tingjie
Round 6: Khadem vs Muzychuk, Vaishali vs Koneru, Ju Wenjun vs Lei Tingjie
Round 7: Ju Wenjun vs Khadem, Lei Tingjie vs Vaishali, Koneru vs Muzychuk
Round 8: Khadem vs Koneru, Muzychuk vs Lei Tingjie, Vaishali vs Ju Wenjun
Round 9: Vaishali vs Khadem, Ju Wenjun vs Muzychuk, Lei Tingjie vs Koneru
Round 10: Khadem vs Lei Tingjie, Koneru vs Ju Wenjun, Muzychuk vs Vaishali

Competition Structure

Both tournaments feature six players in a double round-robin format, where each competitor faces every other participant twice. The event eliminates draws entirely—if classical games end in stalemate, players proceed to rapid-fire Armageddon tiebreakers, ensuring decisive results in every encounter.

Prize Distribution

Each tournament offers total prize funds of approximately Rs 1.3 crore (NOK 1,690,000). The champion receives around Rs 54 lakh (NOK 700,000), while the second-place finisher earns approximately Rs 27 lakh (NOK 350,000).

Subsequent positions receive Rs 15.5 lakh (NOK 200,000) for third, Rs 13.1 lakh (NOK 170,000) for fourth, Rs 11.5 lakh (NOK 150,000) for fifth, and Rs 9.2 lakh (NOK 120,000) for sixth place. Prize money is distributed equally among players with identical scores, except for the championship title, which is determined through playoffs or extended round-robin competition.

Viewing Information for Indian Audiences

Indian chess fans can access live coverage of Norway Chess 2025 through the SonyLIV application and website.