Introducing the Chess player profile of the best Chess player in the world, Magnus Carlsen.
Last Updated: September 25th, 2021
Name: Magnus Carlsen
Nick Name: Mozart of Chess
Place of birth: Tønsberg
Date of birth: 30th November 1990
Federation: Norway
Title: Grandmaster
Update: Magnus Carlsen recently broke the record for longest streak of holding the #1 rank in Chess, surpassing Gary Kasparov longest consecutive streak, but not the total amount of time as #1. Carlsen still has another 10 years to go to exceed the record of beat Kasparov.
Biography
Magnus Carlsen is a chess prodigy who achieved the Grand Master level, when he was only 13 years old. He is currently the third youngest ever Grandmaster in the chess history. He reached peak rating of 2786, in 2008. Carlsen is currently number one in the world.
Early Life
Carlsen started playing chess tournaments when he was eight. Carlsen initially trained under Simen Agdestein, a Norwegian Grand Master. Carlsen became an International Master in 2003, when he was 13.
Carlsen impressed at European Under-12 Boys Championships in 2003, after finishing third. Carlsen grabbed the attention of chess world when he won the C group of Corus Chess tournament held at Wijk aan Zee where he scored 10.5 points from possible 13.
He achieved his first Grand Master norm in that tournament. He won the penultimate match of that tournament in just 29 moves and he won the audience prize for his performance in that match.
Carlsen continued his impressive run by achieving his second Grand Master norm at the Aeroflot Open held at Moscow, in 2004.
Carlsen also overcame Anatoly Karpov at the Reykjavik Blitz Chess tournament in 2004.
In rapid knock out tournament he drew one and lost the other game against legendary Garry Kasparov.
Carlsen achieved his third and final Grand Master norm at the Dubai Open Chess championship, in 2004.
Carlsen created history, when he featured in the 2004 FIDE World Chess Championship, as the youngest ever participant. Carlsen came close to a title win at Norwegian chess championship. However, he finished runner up to Berge Ostenstad.
At the Ciudad de Leon Chess tournament, Carlsen featured in the semi-final against then world number two, Viswanathan Anand. Carlsen again finished runner-up at the Norwegian Chess Championship after losing to Agdestein, in 2005. Carlsen had an impressive run at the 2005 World Chess cup held at Russia.
Carlsen reached the pre-quarter final stage. He went out of the tournament after losing to Evgeny Bareev with a score line 1.5-2.5.
Carlsen finished 10th and placed in the candidate tournament for World championship and also created history again by becoming youngest ever World Championship candidate.
Achievements
Carlsen achieved his first senior level success when he won Arnold Eikrem Memorial tournament, in 2005. He finally succeeded in clinching the Norwegian Championship in 2006.
Carlsen continued his impressive run as he went on to clinch Glitnir Blitz Tournament in 2006.He had an impressive run in 2006 Chess Olympiad as he defeated higher ELO rated players.
Carlsen finished runner-up at the Biel/Bienne grandmaster tournament and NH Chess tournament in that year and finished eighth at the World Blitz Championship held in Israel.
Carlsen finished second at the Linares Chess Tournament in 2007. He finished eighth at the Melody Amber Blind and Rapid chess tournament. Carlsen created history to be the youngest ever to win chess tournament, which comes under category 18, when he finished first at the 2007 International Chess festival Biel Grandmaster tournament. Carlsen made it to the semi-final stage at the 2007 World chess cup.
Carlsen again created history when he became the youngest ever to win prestigious category tournament, as he finished first at Corus Chess tournament, in 2008.
Carlsen finished as runner up at the 2008 Linares Chess tournament. Carlsen shared the runner-up sport at the 2008 Melody Amber blind and rapid tournament. He shared first place at the 2008/2009 FIDE Grand Prix, a 2011 World Chess Championship qualifying tournament.
Carlsen finished as runner up at the category 21 tournament Bilbao Masters in 2008.In 2009, Carlsen finished second at category 21 tournament M-Tel Masters.
If you’re interested in learning more about the World Champion, there is a list of interesting facts about Magnus Carlsen that most people don’t know.