Bibisara Assaubayeva won Norway Chess Women with a round to spare, finishing on 16½ points. She clinched the title before the final round even began.
The last day delivered drama anyway. Three classical games ended decisively for the first time in the tournament's history. Ju Wenjun, the women's world champion, beat Assaubayeva in that final round. The result didn't matter for first place but showed Wenjun's strength down the stretch.
Zhu Jiner secured second place by defeating Humpy Koneru. Anna Muzychuk held third with a win over Divya Deshmukh. The decisive results created real fighting chess on a day that could have produced draws and handshakes.
Assaubayeva's debut at this event was clinical. She controlled the field throughout and never let anyone mount a serious threat. This was her first appearance at Norway Chess Women, and she made it count with an outright victory.
The tournament delivered what the organizers wanted. Three decisive games in the final round gave the fans something to watch. It also showed that even when a champion is crowned early, the remaining competitors still want to fight for their final placings.