Career Timeline of Magnus Carlsen: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Magnus Carlsen built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess grandmaster, widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. He is a five-time World Chess Champion, five-time World Rapid Chess Champion, and eight-time World Blitz Chess Champion. Carlsen has been the top-ranked player in the world since July 1, 2011, and his peak rating of 2882 is the highest in history. He also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak in classical chess at the elite level, with 125 games.
1999: First Tournament Participation
In 1999, at 8 years and 7 months old, Carlsen participated in his first chess tournament, the Norwegian Chess Championship's youngest division, scoring 6/11.
June 2000: Carlsen's Rating Rose
In June 2000, Carlsen's rating rose to 904, marking an early sign of his developing chess skills.
September 2000: Breakthrough at Junior Teams Championship
In September 2000, Carlsen had a breakthrough at the Norwegian junior teams championship, scoring 3½/5 against top junior players, achieving a tournament performance rating of around 2000.
October 2002: Sixth Place in European Under-12 Championship
In October 2002, Carlsen placed sixth in the European Under-12 Championship in Peñiscola, demonstrating his growing skills.
January 2003: First IM Norm at Gausdal Troll Masters
In January 2003, Carlsen achieved his first International Master (IM) norm at the Gausdal Troll Masters with a score of 7/10 and a 2453 performance rating.
June 2003: Second IM Norm at Salongernas IM-tournament
In June 2003, Carlsen earned his second IM norm at the Salongernas IM-tournament in Stockholm, scoring 6/9 with a 2470 performance rating.
July 2003: Third IM Norm at Politiken Cup
In July 2003, Carlsen secured his third IM norm at the Politiken Cup in Copenhagen, achieving a score of 8/11 with a 2503 performance rating.
August 2003: Awarded IM Title
On August 20, 2003, Carlsen was officially awarded the International Master (IM) title, marking a significant step in his chess career.
2003: Year Off for International Tournaments
In 2003, after primary school, Carlsen took a year off to participate in international chess tournaments in Europe. During this period, he placed joint-third in the European Under-14 Championship and ninth in the World Under-14 Championship.
2003: Anand won against Carlsen
In June 2003, Carlsen played a four-game match against Viswanathan Anand at the Ciudad de León rapid chess tournament. Anand won 3-1.
2004: Defeats Alexei Shirov
In 2004, Carlsen defeated Alexei Shirov, who was ranked No. 10 in the world, at the Smartfish Chess Masters event in the Drammen International Chess Festival.
2004: Qualified for Corus B Group
In 2004, Carlsen qualified for a place in the Corus B group due to his first-place finish in Corus group C.
2004: Victory in Corus Chess Tournament C group
In 2004, at age 13, Carlsen won the C group at the Corus chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee with a score of 10½/13, earning his first Grandmaster (GM) norm.
2005: Qualified to play in the B group
Due to Carlsen's victory in the C group at the 2004 Corus chess tournament, he qualified to play in the B group in 2005.
2005: Qualifies for Candidates Tournament
In 2005, at the age of 15, Carlsen became the youngest player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament, marking a significant milestone in his early career.
2006: Shared First Place at Bosna Tournament
In 2006, Carlsen shared first place with Liviu-Dieter Nisipeanu and Vladimir Malakhov at the international 'Bosna' tournament in Sarajevo, marking his first "A" elite tournament achievement.
2006: Wins Norwegian Chess Championship
In 2006, Carlsen won the Norwegian Chess Championship after a playoff against Agdestein, securing his first national championship win.
2007: Helps Anand Prepare for World Championship
In 2007, Carlsen helped Viswanathan Anand prepare for the World Chess Championship.
2007: Participates in Candidates Tournament
In 2007, Carlsen participated in the Candidates Tournament for the FIDE World Chess Championship, drawing his match against Levon Aronian but ultimately being eliminated in the blitz tiebreaks.
2007: Qualified for Corus A Group
In 2007, Carlsen's shared first place in Corus B qualified him to play in the Corus A group.
2008: Helps Anand Prepare for World Championship
In 2008, Carlsen helped Viswanathan Anand prepare for the World Chess Championship.
2008: FIDE Grand Prix Success
In 2008, at the first tournament of the FIDE Grand Prix, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, Carlsen finished in a three-way tie for first place.
2008: Describes cycle as not modern and fair
In 2008-2012, Carlsen described the World Chess Championship cycle as "[not] sufficiently modern and fair", and explaining the reasoning for his withdrawal from the Candidates Tournament.
2008: Espen Agdestein became Carlsen's agent
In late 2008, Espen Agdestein, a FIDE Master and brother of Carlsen's former trainer Simen Agdestein, began working as an agent for Carlsen.
July 2009: Average Ranking for Candidates Tournament
Based on his average ranking from the July 2009 FIDE lists, Carlsen was in line to qualify for the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012.
2009: Victory in the Nanjing Pearl tournament
Carlsen's victory in the 2009 Nanjing Pearl tournament raised his FIDE rating to 2801, making him the youngest player ever to surpass 2800 at the time.
2009: Nanjing 2009 Tournament Result
In 2009, Carlsen had a tournament result in Nanjing with a TPR of 3002.
2009: Engages Garry Kasparov as Trainer
In early 2009, Carlsen engaged former World Champion Garry Kasparov as a personal trainer, marking a significant mentorship relationship in his career.
January 2010: Average Ranking for Candidates Tournament
Based on his average ranking from the January 2010 FIDE lists, Carlsen was in line to qualify for the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012.
January 2010: First Loss as White
Carlsen lost with the white pieces to Anand; this was his first loss as White since January 2010
November 2010: Withdrawal from Candidates Tournament
In November 2010, Carlsen announced his withdrawal from the Candidates Tournament for the World Chess Championship 2012, citing dissatisfaction with the cycle's format and rules.
2010: Helps Anand Prepare for World Championship
In 2010, Carlsen helped Viswanathan Anand prepare for the World Chess Championship against Veselin Topalov, which Anand won to retain his title.
2010: FIDE Grand Prix Success
In 2010, Carlsen was still considered for the FIDE Grand Prix, despite eventually withdrawing from the cycle.
2010: Pearl Spring Chess Tournament Victory
In 2010, Carlsen won the Pearl Spring chess tournament in Nanjing, China, defeating Topalov with black and finishing a full point ahead of Anand with a score of 7/10.
2010: Reaches No. 1 in FIDE World Rankings
In 2010, at age 19, Carlsen became the youngest person ever to reach the No. 1 position in the FIDE world rankings, solidifying his status as a top chess player.
March 2011: Anand Becomes World No. 1
In March 2011, despite Carlsen's raised rating to 2815, Anand's performance at the Tata Steel Chess Tournament elevated his rating to 2817, making him the world No. 1.
July 2011: Ranked No. 1
On July 1, 2011, Carlsen achieved the No. 1 position in the FIDE world chess rankings. This solidified his place among the world's top chess players.
November 2011: Lowest Rating Since November 2011
As a result of the 4th Grenke Chess Classic, in November 2011 Carlsen's FIDE rating dropped to 2832, his lowest since November 2011.
2011: Carlsen's Last Loss to a Teenager
In 2011, Carlsen last loss to a teenager (at standard time controls).
2011: Withdrawal from Candidates Tournament
On 5 November 2011, Carlsen withdrew from the 2011 Candidates Tournament, citing dissatisfaction with the World Championship cycle format.
2011: Agdestein took over management tasks formerly performed by Carlsen's father Henrik
Since 2011, Espen Agdestein has taken over management tasks formerly performed by Carlsen's father Henrik.
2012: Carlsen's Earnings and Management
As of 2012, Carlsen earned US$1.2 million, mainly from sponsorships, with Espen Agdestein as his full-time manager.
2012: Anand and Kasparov's Comments on Carlsen
In 2012, Anand described Carlsen's innate sense for chess and flexibility, comparing him to Boris Spassky. Kasparov also stated that Carlsen could accurately evaluate any position, a trait only Karpov had before him.
2012: Second Place in Biel Grandmaster Tournament
In 2012, Carlsen finished second in the Biel Grandmaster Tournament, one point behind Wang Hao, managing to finish the tournament without any losses and defeating Wang in both individual games.
2012: London 2012 Tournament Result
In 2012, Carlsen had a tournament result in London with a TPR of 2994.
2012: Carlsen's Endgame Prowess
In 2012, Jon Speelman analyzed Carlsen's endgames from the London Classic, describing the "Carlsen effect".
2012: Kramnik on Carlsen's Physical Shape
In 2012, Vladimir Kramnik attributed Carlsen's success to his excellent physical shape, which prevented psychological lapses and allowed him to maintain a high level of play.
2012: A Qualifier for World Chess Championship
In 2012, the FIDE Grand Prix was considered a qualifier for the World Chess Championship.
2012: Withdrawal from Candidates Tournament
In 2012, the year of the World Chess Championship, Carlsen was absent due to his withdrawal from the Candidates Tournament
August 2013: Carlsen became an ambassador for Nordic Semiconductor
In August 2013, Carlsen became an ambassador for Nordic Semiconductor.
October 2013: Carlsen Cofounded Play Magnus AS
In October 2013, Carlsen co-founded Play Magnus AS and launched the Play Magnus iOS app.
2013: Becomes World Chess Champion
In 2013, Carlsen became the World Chess Champion by defeating Viswanathan Anand, marking a pivotal moment in his career.
2013: Victory in Candidates Tournament
In 2013, Carlsen won the Candidates Tournament in London on tiebreak over Vladimir Kramnik, earning the right to challenge Anand for the World Championship.
2014: Defense of World Champion Title
In 2014, Carlsen defended his World Champion title against Anand in Sochi, Russia, leading 6½–4½ after 11 of 12 games.
2014: Retains Title and Wins Rapid and Blitz Championships
In 2014, Carlsen retained his World Chess Champion title against Anand. He also won both the World Rapid Championship and World Blitz Championship, becoming the first player to hold all three titles simultaneously.
2014: Simultaneously held Classical, Rapid and Blitz World Titles
In 2014, Carlsen simultaneously held the Classical, Rapid, and Blitz World Titles, marking one of three times in his career he has achieved this feat.
2014: Caruana wins Sinquefield Cup
In 2014, Fabiano Caruana won the Sinquefield Cup.
2014: Peak Rating Equaled in 2019
In 2019, Carlsen reached his peak rating of 2882, equalling his previous peak set in 2014.
2015: Second Place in Sinquefield Cup
In 2015, Carlsen finished in second place in the Sinquefield Cup with 5/9, one point behind Levon Aronian.
2015: Carlsen's Last Loss to a Sub-2700 Rated Player
In 2015, Carlsen last loss to a sub-2700 rated player
2015: Continued Tournament Success
In 2015, Carlsen won the 3rd Grenke Chess Classic after a tiebreak and also won Shamkir Chess with a score of 7/9, achieving a performance rating of 2983.
2015: Aronian on Carlsen's Composure
In 2015, Levon Aronian stated that Carlsen's main secret was his composure and the absence of soul-searching after mistakes during a game.
2015: Lowest performance rating since 2015
In the fifth edition of Norway Chess in 2015, Carlsen had a performance rating of 2755, his lowest since 2015
2016: Defends World Title Against Karjakin
In 2016, Carlsen defended his World Chess Champion title against Sergey Karjakin, further solidifying his reign.
2016: World Chess Championship Victory Against Karjakin
In 2016, Carlsen faced Karjakin in the World Chess Championship in New York City, resulting in a 6-6 tie after 12 games, with Carlsen winning the rapid tiebreaks 3-1 to retain his title on his 26th birthday, November 30th.
2016: Carlsen Loses World Rapid Championship Title
In 2016, Carlsen lost the World Rapid Championship Title.
2016: Karpov on Carlsen's Style
In 2016, when interviewed Karpov stated Carlsen's style resembled his own, suggesting Carlsen may have studied his games.
October 2017: Speed Chess Championship Run
Starting in October 2017, Carlsen participated in Chess.com's Speed Chess Championship, defeating Guseinov, So, and Grischuk in the early rounds.
2017: 2017 London Chess Classic and Grand Chess Tour Champion
In 2017, Carlsen finished fifth at the London Chess Classic but secured enough points to become the 2017 Grand Chess Tour champion.
2017: World Rapid and Blitz Championships
In 2017, Carlsen finished fifth in the World Rapid Championship but won the World Blitz Championship, his third victory in that event.
2017: Chess World Cup Participation and Elimination
In 2017, Carlsen participated in the Chess World Cup and was eliminated in the third round by Bu Xiangzhi.
2017: Champions Showdown Victory
In 2017, Carlsen won the Champions Showdown against Ding Liren with a score of 22–8.
2017: Paris Grand Chess Tour Victory
In 2017, Carlsen won the Paris leg of the Grand Chess Tour, finishing first overall after defeating Vachier-Lagrave in the playoff.
January 2018: Speed Chess Championship Victory
On January 3rd, 2018, Carlsen defeated Nakamura 18–9 in the final of Chess.com's Speed Chess Championship, winning the tournament for a consecutive time.
2018: Defends World Title Against Caruana
In 2018, Carlsen defended his World Chess Champion title against Fabiano Caruana, maintaining his position as the world's top player.
2018: World Chess Championship Victory Against Caruana
In 2018, Carlsen faced Caruana in the World Chess Championship in London, drawing all 12 classical games but winning the rapid tiebreak 3–0 to retain his title.
2018: World Rapid and Blitz Championships Performance
In 2018, Carlsen placed fifth in the World Rapid Championship but won the World Blitz Championship, remaining unbeaten.
2018: World Cup Participation is part of Championship Cycle
In 2018, the World Cup is part of the cycle to challenge the World Champion.
March 2019: Play Magnus AS Merged with chess24.com
In March 2019, Play Magnus AS merged with chess24.com, consolidating into the Play Magnus Group.
2019: Unbeaten Streak Record
In 2019, Carlsen extended his unbeaten streak in classical chess to 101 games at the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament.
2019: St. Louis Rapid & Blitz and Sinquefield Cup Performance
In 2019, Carlsen had a poor showing in the St. Louis Rapid & Blitz, finishing in sixth place, and tied for first in the Sinquefield Cup but lost the tiebreak to Ding.
2019: FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship
In 2019, Carlsen lost against Wesley So in the final round of the first official FIDE World Fischer Random Chess Championship
2019: Repeats Feat of Holding All Three Titles
In 2019, Carlsen repeated his 2014 feat by holding all three major chess titles: World Chess Champion, World Rapid Champion, and World Blitz Champion simultaneously.
2019: Norway Chess and Zagreb Grand Chess Tour Victories
In 2019, Carlsen won Norway Chess and the Zagreb leg of the Grand Chess Tour, reaching his peak rating of 2882 and marking his eighth consecutive tournament victory.
2019: World Rapid and Blitz Championship Victories
In 2019, Carlsen won both the World Rapid and World Blitz Chess Championships, reclaiming the rapid title he lost in 2016 and defeating Nakamura in a tiebreak for the blitz title.
2019: Côte d'Ivoire and Lindores Abbey Wins
In 2019, Carlsen won the Côte d'Ivoire Rapid & Blitz and the Lindores Abbey Chess Stars Tournament, marking his sixth consecutive tournament victory.
2019: Tata Steel Rapid & Blitz Win
In late November 2019, Carlsen won the Tata Steel Rapid & Blitz, the final leg of the 2019 Grand Chess Tour, with a score of 27/36.
October 2020: Play Magnus Group Listed on Oslo Stock Exchange
On 8 October 2020, Play Magnus Group was listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.
2020: Carlsen signed a two-year sponsorship deal with gambling company Unibet
In 2020, Carlsen announced that he had signed a two-year sponsorship deal with gambling company Unibet to act as a "global ambassador".
2021: Defends World Title Against Nepomniachtchi
In 2021, Carlsen defended his World Chess Champion title against Ian Nepomniachtchi, reinforcing his dominance in the chess world.
April 2022: Kindred Group Extended Partnership with Carlsen and Offerspill
In April 2022, the Kindred Group extended its partnership with Carlsen for another two years and extended its sponsorship of Offerspill.
August 2022: Chess.com Offered to Acquire Play Magnus Group
In August 2022, Chess.com finalized an offer of acquisition for Play Magnus Group.
December 2022: Chess.com Acquisition of Play Magnus Group Closed
On 16 December 2022, Chess.com officially closed its acquisition of Play Magnus Group, and Carlsen signed as a brand ambassador for Chess.com.
2022: Repeats Feat of Holding All Three Titles Again
In 2022, Carlsen repeated his achievement from 2014 and 2019 by simultaneously holding the World Chess Champion, World Rapid Champion, and World Blitz Champion titles.
2023: Declines to Defend Title
In 2023, Carlsen declined to defend his World Chess Champion title, citing a lack of motivation, which marked the end of his reign.
October 2024: Magnus Carlsen cofounded Take Take Take
In October 2024, Magnus Carlsen cofounded Take Take Take, which offered text-based commentary to fantasy chess.
December 2024: Carlsen becomes official chess ambassador for the Esports World Cup
In December 2024, Carlsen became the official chess ambassador for the Esports World Cup.
December 2024: Take Take Take tied with Chess.com to jointly organise Champions Chess Tour Finals
In December 2024, Take Take Take tied with Chess.com to jointly organise Champions Chess Tour Finals.
2025: Chess is introduced in the Esports World Cup
In 2025 Chess is introduced in the Esports World Cup.
2025: Signs with Team Liquid
In 2025, Carlsen signed with esports organization Team Liquid, marking his expansion into the esports world.
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