Carlsen Beats the Odds to Win Norway Chess Again, Eyes Possible Return

Magnus Carlsen once again proved his dominance by winning the Norway Chess title on Friday, securing the trophy for a record seventh time. Although his performance wasn’t flawless, he held on to the lead and finished strong. Carlsen drew his final classical game against Arjun Erigaisi. Then, he lost the Armageddon playoff. Nevertheless, he had enough points to win the tournament.

Gukesh Slips to Third

Meanwhile, D. Gukesh entered the final round just half a point behind Carlsen. However, he lost to Fabiano Caruana. As a result, Caruana moved up to second place, pushing Gukesh down to third.

Older Players Still Lead

The two-week event in Stavanger, Norway, highlighted the continued dominance of experienced players. Carlsen, 34, and Caruana, 32, claimed the top two spots. In addition, 37-year-old Hikaru Nakamura finished fourth after a draw against Chinese GM Wei Yi.

Carlsen Confident Against Youth

Carlsen believes the younger generation isn’t ready to take over.

“I generally feel that I can outplay the kids… which feels good,” he told Chess24.

“It’s good to see that at least in parts of the game I am a lot better than kids who are trying to take over.”

Possibly Not Done with Classical Chess

In recent months, Carlsen had criticised classical chess and hinted at leaving the format. However, after his win, he seemed open to returning.

“I don’t think I will be playing a lot (of classical chess), but I am also not guaranteeing that I’m never playing a classical tournament again,” he said.

“I might be back here next year. I cannot be sure.”

He added, “It’s nice to see I can still play. And it’s nice to see that at least in parts of the game I can still be quite a lot better than the guys who are trying to take over.”

A Decade of Leadership

Carlsen has been the world’s top-ranked player since 2011. He won five world championships, starting with a win over Viswanathan Anand in 2013. Eventually, he chose not to defend his title in 2022, citing a lack of interest.

Focus on Freestyle Chess

Instead, Carlsen has focused on Freestyle Chess, also called Chess960. He co-founded the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour and the Freestyle Chess Players Club with German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner.

Even so, his latest win proves he still has a strong presence in the classical format — and may not be leaving it behind just yet.