The youngest player to surpass the 2800 rating mark, Magnus Carlsen (b. 1990) from Norway, stormed into the chess elite in his teens. Carlsen withdrew from the Candidates in 2010, dissatisfied with the format, but three years later, he won the Candidates Tournament (London, 2013) thanks to better tiebreaks over Vladimir Kramnik and became the challenger. The same year, he convincingly defeated Viswanathan Anand in the title match by a score of 6½–3½, becoming the World Champion.
During his reign, Magnus defended the title by beating Anand again 6½–4½ (Sochi, 2014) and prevailing in tiebreaks over Sergey Karjakin (New York, 2016) and Fabiano Caruana (London, 2018).
In 2021, Carlsen beat Ian Nepomniachtchi in Dubai 7½–3½ and, shortly after the match, announced that he would not defend his title, later confirming it with an official withdrawal. The almost 10-year reign of Magnus Carlsen has ended.
Magnus Carlsen surrounded by fans (2024-09-21) by Michal WaluszaInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)
During his illustrious and still ongoing career, Carlsen set many records and is widely considered the greatest chess player of all time.
Carlsen has held the No. 1 position in the FIDE rating list since July 1, 2011, trailing only Garry Kasparov in time spent as the highest-rated player in the world. His peak rating of 2882 is the highest in history. In 2024, Carlsen received a FIDE award as the Best Player, dedicated to the centenary of the International Chess Federation.
Magnus Carlsen at the golf field (2023-08-07) by Stev BonhageInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)
Magnus Carlsen is very athletic and eager to try himself in various sports. Here, he's spending a free day at the World Cup 2023 playing golf.
Autograph of Magnus Carlsen by Magnus CarlsenInternational Chess Federation (FIDE)
Carlsen's autograph
Carlsen's signature chess combination
Anand – Carlsen. Chennai 2013
28… Qe1! (not 28… Qd1? because of 29. Rh4 Qh5 30. Rxh5 gxh5 31. Ne3, and White is winning). White resigned because after 29. Rh4 Qxh4 30. Qxh4 Qa5, Black is completely winning.
The chess world speaks: opinions on Carlsen
"Magnus is a lethal combination of Fischer and Karpov. He gets his positions and then never lets go of that bulldog bite. Exhausting for opponents." - Garry Kasparov
"He is definitely the main figure by far in modern chess. He has a very good chance of being considered the best chess player in history." - Vladimir Kramnik
"Normally, you should be a little bit sick of chess on his schedule, but he’s still motivated. He comes up with one good result after another. It’s impressive, and I attribute most of it to his fitness and his willingness to play every game till the end." - Viswanathan Anand
Timeless chess wisdom from Carlsen
Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's okay to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless.
Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything.
I have always believed in what I do on the chessboard, even when I had no objective reason to. It is better to overestimate your prospects than to underestimate them.
Contrary to many young colleagues, I do believe that it makes sense to study the classics.
Dive deeper: explore Carlsen's legacy through these videos
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