Magnus Carlsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Magnus Carlsen
Carlsen in 2024
Full name	Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen
Country	Norway
Born	(1990-11-30) 30 November 1990 (age 34) Tønsberg, Norway
Title	Grandmaster (2004)
World Champion	2013–2023
FIDE rating	2863 (June 2025)
Peak rating	2882 (May 2014)
Peak ranking	No. 1 (January 2010)

Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a famous Norwegian chess grandmaster. Many people consider him the best chess player ever!

Magnus Carlsen has won the World Chess Championship five times. He has also been the World Rapid Chess Champion five times and the World Blitz Chess Champion eight times. He has been ranked as the world's number one chess player since July 2011. His highest-ever rating, 2882, is the highest in chess history. He also holds the record for the longest time without losing a game in top-level chess, with 125 games.

Magnus was a chess prodigy, meaning he was super talented at a young age. He became a grandmaster when he was just 13 years old. At 19, he became the youngest player ever to be ranked number one in the world.

Carlsen became World Chess Champion in 2013 by beating Viswanathan Anand. He kept his title in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021. In 2014, 2019, and 2022, he won all three world titles (classical, rapid, and blitz) at the same time! He decided not to defend his classical world title in 2023 because he felt he lacked motivation.

Early Life

Magnus Carlsen was born in Tønsberg, Norway, on 30 November 1990. His mother, Sigrun Øen, was a chemical engineer. His father, Henrik Albert Carlsen, was an IT consultant and a keen amateur chess player.

The family lived in Finland and Belgium for a year before returning to Norway in 1998. Magnus showed he was very smart from a young age. At two, he could solve 50-piece jigsaw puzzles. At four, he loved building Lego sets meant for older kids.

His father taught him chess when he was five. At first, Magnus was not very interested. He later said his main reason for studying chess was to beat his older sister.

Carlsen, aged 13, playing many games at once in Molde, July 2004

Magnus improved his chess skills by playing by himself. He had an amazing memory. By age five, he could remember the capitals, flags, and populations of all the countries in the world. He played in his first tournament at 8 years old.

He was coached by Grandmaster Simen Agdestein, Norway's top player. Magnus's rating quickly improved. From 2000 to 2002, he played almost 300 rated games. In October 2002, he placed sixth in the European Under-12 Championship. The next month, he tied for first in the 2002 World Under-12 Championship. He became an International Master (IM) in August 2003.

After primary school, Carlsen took a year off to play in chess tournaments. He then went back to a sports school for secondary education.

Becoming a Chess Star

In 2004, at just 13 years old, Carlsen won the C group at the Corus chess tournament. This earned him his first grandmaster norm. He won a game against Sipke Ernst in only 29 moves. A chess writer called him "the Mozart of chess."

He earned his second grandmaster norm in February. In March, he beat former World Champion Anatoly Karpov in a fast chess game. The next day, he played against Garry Kasparov, the world's top player. Carlsen drew the first game but lost the second.

In April 2004, Carlsen earned his third grandmaster norm. This made him the youngest grandmaster in the world at that time. He was the second-youngest grandmaster in history. He also became the youngest player ever to play in the FIDE World Chess Championship.

In 2005, Carlsen became the youngest player to qualify for the World Championship Candidates Tournament. This tournament decides who challenges the World Champion. In 2006, he won his first Norwegian Chess Championship.

In 2008, Carlsen tied for first place at the Corus chess tournament. He also won the Aerosvit chess tournament, without losing a single game.

In 2009, Carlsen won the Nanjing Pearl Spring tournament. He scored 8 out of 10 points, which was an amazing performance. He then won the World Blitz Championship in Moscow. He also won the London Chess Classic. These wins helped him become the world's number one ranked player in January 2010. He was only 19 years old, the youngest ever to reach this spot.

From 2009 to 2010, Carlsen was coached by former World Champion Garry Kasparov.

World Champion Years

Becoming World Champion in 2013

Carlsen playing in the 75th Tata Steel tournament, 2013

In 2013, Magnus Carlsen played in the Candidates Tournament in London. He won the tournament, which meant he would challenge Viswanathan Anand for the World Championship title.

The World Chess Championship 2013 took place in Chennai, India. Carlsen won the match 6½ to 3½. He won games five, six, and nine, and drew the rest. This made him the new World Chess Champion. He was the 16th undisputed World Chess Champion. Even though he was younger and less experienced than Anand, he handled the pressure very well.

World Chess Championship 2013

Player	Rating	Rank	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7	Game 8	Game 9	Game 10	Points
Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2775	8	½	½	½	½	0	0	½	½	0	½	3½
Magnus Carlsen (NOR)	2870	1	½	½	½	½	1	1	½	½	1	½	6½

Defending the Title

Anand and Carlsen at the closing ceremony of the 2014 World Chess Championship in Sochi, Russia

In 2014, Carlsen defended his World Champion title against Anand again. The match was held in Sochi, Russia. Carlsen won 6½ to 4½ after 11 games, keeping his title.

World Chess Championship 2014

Player	Rating	Rank	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7	Game 8	Game 9	Game 10	Game 11	Points
Magnus Carlsen (NOR)	2863	1	½	1	0	½	½	1	½	½	½	½	1	6½
Viswanathan Anand (IND)	2792	6	½	0	1	½	½	0	½	½	½	½	0	4½

In 2016, Carlsen faced Sergey Karjakin in New York City. The match was tied 6–6 after 12 games. Carlsen then won the rapid tie-break games 3–1 to keep his title. This happened on his 26th birthday!

World Chess Championship 2016

Player	Rating	Rank	Classical Games	Tiebreak Games (Rapid)	Points
Sergey Karjakin (RUS)	2772	9	6	1	6 (1)
Magnus Carlsen (NOR)	2853	1	6	3	6 (3)

In 2018, Carlsen played against Fabiano Caruana in London. All 12 classical games were drawn! Carlsen then won the rapid tie-break games 3–0 to keep his title.

World Chess Championship 2018

Player	Rating	Rank	Classical Games	Tiebreak Games (Rapid)	Points
Magnus Carlsen (NOR)	2835	1	6	3	6 (3)
Fabiano Caruana (USA)	2832	2	6	0	6 (0)

Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi at the 2021 World Chess Championship

In 2021, Carlsen defeated Ian Nepomniachtchi in the World Chess Championship. Game 6 was very long, lasting 136 moves and almost 8 hours. It was the longest game in World Chess Championship history! Carlsen won games 6, 8, 9, and 11 to keep his title.

World Chess Championship 2021

Player	Rating	Rank	Game 1	Game 2	Game 3	Game 4	Game 5	Game 6	Game 7	Game 8	Game 9	Game 10	Game 11	Points
Magnus Carlsen (NOR)	2856	1	½	½	½	½	½	1	½	1	1	½	1	7½
Ian Nepomniachtchi (Chess Federation of Russia)	2782	5	½	½	½	½	½	0	½	0	0	½	0	3½

Carlsen decided not to defend his World Championship title in 2023. He said he enjoyed playing chess tournaments more than championship matches. He still plays professional chess.

Recent Achievements

Carlsen at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament 2023

In 2022, Carlsen won his eighth Tata Steel Chess Tournament. He also won the Norway Chess tournament for the fourth time in a row.

In 2022, Carlsen won both the World Rapid and World Blitz Championships. This was the third time he held all three world titles (classical, rapid, and blitz) at the same time.

In 2023, Carlsen won the FIDE World Cup for the first time. He also won his third Speed Chess Championship. He won the World Rapid and World Blitz Championships again, successfully defending both titles.

In 2024, Carlsen won the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge, a new type of chess tournament. He also won his fourth Speed Chess Championship. In December 2024, Carlsen agreed to share the World Blitz Championship title with Ian Nepomniachtchi after a tie.

Carlsen's Playing Style

When Magnus was younger, he played with a very aggressive style. He was not afraid to take risks. As he got older, his style changed. He became a more all-around player. He can play well in many different types of positions.

Carlsen uses many different openings. This makes it hard for his opponents to prepare against him. It also makes it harder for them to use computer analysis before the game. He has said that the middlegame is his favorite part of the game. He thinks it is where "pure chess" happens.

Garry Kasparov, who coached Carlsen, said Magnus has a positional style. This means he likes to slowly build up his advantage. He is good at finding small advantages and turning them into big ones. Chess experts say he has an amazing natural feel for the game. He can understand almost any position very well.

Carlsen is also known for his great skills in the endgame. He can play for a long time, calmly and without fear. This often makes his opponents make mistakes.

Key Achievements

Carlsen has received many awards for his chess skills. He won the Chess Oscar five times in a row, from 2009 to 2013. This award was given to the best player of the year.

He was named "Name of the Year" twice in Norway. He was also named "Sportsman of the Year" in 2009. In 2011, he won the Peer Gynt Prize, a special Norwegian award.

In 2013, Time magazine named Carlsen one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2020, Forbes magazine said he was the highest-earning esports player.

Chess Ratings

Carlsen's Elo rating changes from 2002 to 2023

Magnus Carlsen has broken many rating records.

• In 2006, at 15 years old, he became the youngest player to reach a 2600 Elo rating.
• In 2007, at 16 years old, he became the youngest to pass 2700.
• In 2009, at 18 years old, he became the youngest to pass 2800. Only a few players in history have reached this high rating.
• In January 2010, at 19 years old, he became the youngest world number one.
• In January 2013, Carlsen reached a rating of 2861. This broke Garry Kasparov's record from 1999.
• In May 2014, Carlsen reached his highest rating ever: 2882. He even reached 2889 on the live ratings list.

As of March 2025, Carlsen is also ranked number one in both rapid and blitz chess ratings.

Life Outside Chess

Magnus Carlsen has also done things outside of chess. He has modeled for a clothing company called G-Star Raw. He even appeared in a 60 Minutes TV show segment.

Carlsen has a manager, Espen Agdestein, who helps him with sponsors and media. Carlsen earns a lot of money from sponsorships. He is an ambassador for Nordic Semiconductor. In 2017, he was even on an episode of The Simpsons.

In 2020, Carlsen signed a deal with a gambling company, Unibet. He also started his own chess club, Offerspill Chess Club, which is now Norway's largest chess club.

Play Magnus Group

In 2013, Carlsen helped start a company called Play Magnus AS. Their first product was a phone app called Play Magnus. This app lets you play against a chess computer that plays like Magnus at different ages. Carlsen wanted the app to encourage more people to play chess.

In 2019, Play Magnus AS joined with chess24.com to form the Play Magnus Group. This company was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2020. In 2022, Chess.com bought Play Magnus Group. Carlsen then became a brand ambassador for Chess.com.

Take Take Take

In October 2024, Magnus Carlsen co-founded a new app called Take Take Take. It is the first app in the chess world to offer text-based comments for fantasy chess games. Take Take Take partnered with Chess.com to help organize the Champions Chess Tour Finals in December 2024.

Personal Life

Magnus Carlsen is a big fan of football. His favorite club is Real Madrid CF. He even kicked off a game for Real Madrid in 2013. He also plays fantasy football and once reached the number one spot in a Fantasy Premier League game.

As of 2016, Carlsen identifies as a social democrat. He mostly follows a vegetarian diet.

In January 2025, Magnus Carlsen married Ella Victoria Malone in a private ceremony in Oslo, Norway.

Famous Games

Here are some of Magnus Carlsen's most famous chess games:

• Carlsen vs. Garry Kasparov, Reykjavík Rapid (2004): At 13 years old, Carlsen almost beat the world's number one player in a fast game.
• Carlsen vs. Veselin Topalov, M-Tel Masters (2009): This was Carlsen's first win against a player rated over 2800.
• Carlsen vs. Boris Gelfand, Tal Memorial (2011): Carlsen called this "one of the most interesting games I have played."
• Carlsen vs. Hikaru Nakamura, London Chess Classic (2011): Carlsen gave up a piece to get a winning position.
• Carlsen vs. Viswanathan Anand, Bilbao Masters (2012): Carlsen sacrificed a pawn to make Anand's pieces very crowded. Anand gave up the game after only 30 moves. Carlsen thinks this is one of his best games.
• Carlsen vs. Li Chao, Qatar Masters (2015): Carlsen found a winning attack by sacrificing his queen!
• Carlsen vs. Ian Nepomniachtchi, 2021 World Championship game 6 (2021): This game lasted 136 moves and almost 8 hours. It is the longest game in World Chess Championship history.

More to Explore

If you want to learn more about Magnus Carlsen, check out these books and films:

• Franco, Zenon (2020). Magnus Wins With White.
• Franco, Zenon (2020). Magnus Wins With Black.
• Valaker, O; Carlsen, M. (2004). Lær sjakk med Magnus [Learn Chess with Magnus].
• The Prince of Chess, a film about Magnus Carlsen (2005).
• Opedal, Hallgeir (2011). Smarte trekk. Magnus Carlsen: Verdens beste sjakkspiller [Smart Moves. Magnus Carlsen: The World's Best Chess Player].
• Mikhalchishin, Adrian; Stetsko, Oleg. (2012). Fighting Chess with Magnus Carlsen (Progress in Chess).
• Crouch, Colin (2013). Magnus Force: How Carlsen Beat Kasparov's Record.
• Sivertsen, Aage G. (2015). Magnus.
• Kotronias, Vassilios & Logothetis, Sotiris (2013). Carlsen's assault on the throne.
• Butler, Brin-Jonathan (2018). The Grandmaster: Magnus Carlsen and the Match That Made Chess Great Again.
• Magnus (2016).

Images for kids

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  Carlsen playing against Sipke Ernst in 2004.

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  Carlsen in Warsaw, 2005.

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  Carlsen playing Levon Aronian at Linares 2007.

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  Carlsen in 2008.

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  Carlsen at the World Blitz Championship 2009.

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  Carlsen at the 2010 London Chess Classic.

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  Carlsen at the 74th Tata Steel Chess Tournament in 2012.

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  Carlsen at the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2015 award ceremony.

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  Carlsen at the 42nd Chess Olympiad, 8 September 2016.

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  Carlsen at the 79th Tata Steel Chess Tournament, 29 January 2017.

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  Carlsen facing Caruana at the 5th Grenke Chess Classic, 31 March 2018.

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  Carlsen in May 2013.