Wesley So grabbed the lead at Norway Chess after methodically defeating Praggnanandhaa in round six. Firouzja finally cracked, losing first place when Carlsen outplayed him in a technical grind. Keymer broke his scoreless streak by beating Gukesh in clinical fashion.
The pattern was clear: white pieces decided every classical game. This wasn't tactical fireworks. These were battles of positional mastery and endgame precision. So's victory put him atop the standings. Firouzja's loss ended his grip on first place after holding it through five rounds, a reminder that even the best prepared players eventually face resistance at this level.
Keymer's breakthrough mattered too. He'd drawn repeatedly and looked lost before Round 6. Against world champion Gukesh, he found his rhythm and converted. That's the kind of bounce-back that shapes tournament momentum.
The Carlsen-Firouzja encounter was the round's defining moment. Carlsen seized control methodically, converting technical pressure into a win that reshuffled the leaderboard entirely. White's dominance across all three boards suggests the opening preparation favored the first-move player, or players simply executed their positions better when it mattered.
So now leads. Firouzja dropped back. The tournament remains in flux with rounds remaining to sort out the contenders.