Carlsen

News

CARLSEN NEWS

Magnus Carlsen taking on world champion Gukesh D at the Norway Chess tournament in 2025. (PHOTO: Norway Chess via Michal Walusza)

Magnus Carlsen confirmed for 2026 Norway Chess as world's most elite tournament leaves Stavanger after 13 years

January 14, 2026 11:39 pm

Carlsen has taken part in each of the 13 Norway Chess editions and has won seven of them.

Magnus Carlsen looks at a chess board. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)

Seven-figure club: Magnus Carlsen was only chess player to earn over $1 million in 2025 from prize money

January 07, 2026 8:55 pm

India’s top money earner when it came to prize money was Arjun Erigaisi, who pocketed a whopping $431,214 (approximately Rs 3.8 crore) in 2025. This put Arjun 8th in the 2025 list while Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh were behind him.

Faustino Oro competes at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship 2023. (PHOTO: Lennart Ootes via FIDE)

Magnus Carlsen tells Faustino Oro: 'One day, Messi will be lucky to be compared to you'

January 08, 2026 1:01 am

Talking about the record of the youngest grandmaster in the world, Carlsen had some advice for Oro. “I do think that there are more important things right now than records. He's a great player. He has a wonderful positional feeling for chess which is quite rare among such young players."

Arjun Erigaisi in action against Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the World Blitz Championship semi-finals on Tuesday. (PHOTO: Anna Shtourman/FIDE)

World Blitz Championships: Arjun Erigaisi ends year with bittersweet bronze, Magnus Carlsen makes a comeback for ages to win title

December 31, 2025 9:40 am

Carlsen and Erigaisi thus became the only two players at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Doha to take home two medals, with Carlsen winning twin golds.

Magnus Carlsen slams table after losing to Arjun Erigaisi at World Blitz Championship. (PHOTO: Screengrab/X)

'Should not be normalizing tantrums': Levon Aronian tells World Blitz arbiter on Magnus Carlsen fist smash incident

December 30, 2025 9:01 pm

Aronian was reacting to a post on X from arbiter Chris Bird, who had handled the Carlsen-Arjun situation on Monday.

Armenian grandmaster Haik M Martirosyan protests as Magnus Carlsen resets his pieces after knocking them over in their 14th round clash at the FIDE World Blitz Championship. (PHOTO: Screengrab via FIDE YouTube)

Magnus Carlsen loses by forfeit after another accident with pieces at World Blitz Championship

December 30, 2025 6:10 pm

As soon as Carlsen hit his clock, Martirosyan protested and stopped the clock to call over the arbiter Chris Bird.

Arjun Erigaisi looks at a game between Magnus Carlsen and Alexander Grischuk during the FIDE World Blitz Championship in Doha on Sunday. (PHOTO: Anna Shtourman via FIDE)

Arjun Erigaisi takes down Magnus Carlsen in tense blitz clash as World No 1 smashes fist on table again

December 30, 2025 9:02 pm

Magnus Carlsen smashed his fist on the board after fumbling and dropping his queen to lose on time against Arjun Erigaisi at the World Blitz Championship. The World No 1 had also smashed his fist on a table after losing to world champion Gukesh in a classical game in June this year.

Magnus Carlsen tapes over betting sponsor logo to avoid fresh war with FIDE in Doha

December 29, 2025 3:54 pm

After last year's controversy over jeans, Magnus Carlsen had promised to play in “tighter jeans” this time around. He won his sixth title at the World Rapid Championship this year.

World champion Gukesh Dommaraju is seen during the first day of the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha. (PHOTO: Lennart Ootes via FIDE)

Gukesh shares lead with Magnus Carlsen, Arjun Erigaisi after day 1 of FIDE World Rapid Championship

December 27, 2025 3:35 pm

The results for Gukesh from Friday evening in Doha vindicate the theory that the teenager from Chennai has improved a lot in the rapid time control. Classical chess has always been the teenager's forte. It's the format where he became the youngest world champion last year.

Magnus Carlsen arrives for his round 1 rapid game at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship in Doha. (PHOTO: Anna Shtourman)

Magnus Carlsen explains why he's playing at World Rapid and Blitz despite jeansgate last year

December 26, 2025 6:21 pm

When Carlsen was asked if there would be more controversy at this year's FIDE World Rapid and Blitz, like last year's jeansgate, he said "There always are incidents at the World Rapid and Blitz. I hope I'm not going to be part of it this time."