It is widely acknowledged that Magnus Carlsen stands as the premier chess player globally, an undisputed truth within the chess community that seems impossible to alter. It`s simply a fundamental principle of the chess world.
Classical chess is a format Carlsen has openly admitted he has lost interest in. Yet, at Norway Chess 2025, the world`s elite players gathered, all striving to win in this very format Carlsen appears less enthusiastic about. The outcome? Carlsen emerged victorious, securing his seventh career title at the Norway Chess tournament.
This particular victory might be among his most satisfying, especially considering his well-documented indifference towards classical chess. During the tournament, he even suggested he might reconsider his future participation in the format.
However, he seemed differently motivated for this event. His objective was clear: to demonstrate that despite others claiming world championships after him (a possibility only because he stepped aside from the classical cycle), he remains the sole king of the chess world.
His reaction following a loss to the reigning world champion, Dommaraju Gukesh, was highly revealing. Carlsen blundered a winning position into a losing one with a single move. He emphatically struck the table, exclaimed a loud `oh my God`, and quickly exited the playing hall, offering an apology to Gukesh as he left. This was a rare display of such intense emotion from him during a game.
Perhaps this unusual reaction was fitting, given how seldom Carlsen loses classical games, and even more rarely does he squander winning positions in such a manner. Notably, Carlsen did not suffer another classical game defeat for the remainder of the tournament.
When asked about his feelings on potentially winning the tournament after his ninth-round victory against Fabiano Caruana, Carlsen’s reply was telling. He stated, “The dream of playing a really good tournament burst with that game (the loss to Gukesh in Round 6)… I wanted a score that reflects the fact I think I`m still significantly better at chess and since I couldn`t achieve that, a potential win of the tournament would not mean as much,” during a live stream interview with David Howell, Jovanka Houska, and Tania Sachdev on Chess.com.
The most significant rivalry in chess, even more so than against world champions, appears to be Magnus Carlsen versus himself.
He might not be performing at his absolute peak, and his motivation might not be what it once was, yet overcoming Magnus Carlsen remains the most formidable challenge in any chess format. Competing against him? Possible. Drawing against him? Achievable. Defeating him? Highly improbable. Gukesh managed the improbable, and Carlsen`s reaction showed how deeply he disliked it.
It was also noteworthy that in the game immediately following his loss to Gukesh, Carlsen played a swift draw against Hikaru Nakamura, both players having significant time remaining on their clocks.
“It`s not that I cannot play classical chess,” he later commented to Take Take Take after the draw with Nakamura. “But in situations like yesterday (loss to Gukesh), I was wondering, `why am I doing this? What`s the point?`”
He elaborated that classical chess was no longer enjoyable for him and that he needed to consider ways to avoid it, perhaps by ceasing to play the format altogether. The dilemma for other players competing against him is that his concern wasn`t about his skill level; he simply wasn`t finding classical chess fun or gaining anything from it. “I am not worried about my level,” Carlsen asserted.
And by winning the tournament, particularly in the final round, he offered a glimpse of exactly why he isn`t concerned about his level. Arjun Erigaisi had played an almost perfect game for 34 moves. Within just six moves, Carlsen transformed a losing position into a winning one. He ultimately agreed to a draw rather than force a win, likely understanding that a draw was sufficient to clinch the title.
Commentators Howell, Houska, and Sachdev were nearly speechless on the live stream. They were familiar with Carlsen`s genius, yet he continues to mesmerize them with his profound understanding and unparalleled coordination of all the pieces on the board. No one executes it better.
Thus, the story concludes. The world`s top players gave their utmost effort. They came close, as the final standings, separated by merely half a point, would show. Yet, a player admittedly lacking motivation for the format, even questioning the necessity of playing it, proved superior to all of them. Therein lies the true greatness of Magnus Carlsen, arguably the greatest chess player of all time.
Marcus Bellamy