#16 World Chess Champion
Magnus Carlsen – 16th World Chess Champion
World number one for more than a decade, Carlsen held the classical title from 2013 to 2023 and dominated rapid and blitz chess along the way.
- Country: Norway
- Title reign: 2013–2023
- Style: Universal, endgame grind, practical decisions
Magnus Carlsen
World Champion 2013–2023
Overview
Carlsen is famous for winning seemingly equal positions and for his ability to press in long, technical endgames. His influence reshaped modern practice in quiet openings, endgame technique, and practical decision-making at the board.
Rather than relying only on sharp theoretical battles, he often steers games into playable middlegames with small imbalances, trusting his feel for piece activity, king safety, and long-term plans.
World Championship highlights
- Defeated Viswanathan Anand in 2013 to claim the title in Chennai.
- Successfully defended against Anand in 2014, then against Sergey Karjakin in 2016.
- Won the 2018 match vs Fabiano Caruana after drawing all classical games, deciding it in rapid.
- Defended once more vs Ian Nepomniachtchi in 2021 before later stepping away from the title cycle.
Playing style & legacy
Carlsen’s style is often called “universal”: he can attack, defend, grind, or sacrifice depending on what the position demands. He is especially feared in queenless middlegames and endgames.
His success across classical, rapid, and blitz – plus dominance on online platforms – helped push chess into a new digital era, with elite events regularly broadcast to global audiences.
Magnus Carlsen on ChessTV
On ChessTV.com you can follow Carlsen’s career via:
- Complete game collection with searchable openings and results.
- Head-to-head records vs other top players.
- Key tournaments, standings, and event histories where he played.