Magnus Carlsen's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Magnus Carlsen. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

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.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

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.

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.

2006: Wins Norwegian Chess Championship

In 2006, Carlsen won the Norwegian Chess Championship after a playoff against Agdestein, securing his first national championship win.

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.

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: Won Chess Oscar

In 2009, Carlsen won the Chess Oscar, which was awarded to the year's best player according to a worldwide poll of leading chess critics, writers, and journalists.

2010: Folkets Idrettspris

In 2010, Carlsen won the Folkets Idrettspris, a people's choice award from the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

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.

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.

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.

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.

2013: World Chess Champion Victory

In 2013, Carlsen won the World Chess Championship against Anand in Chennai, India, with a score of 6½–3½, becoming the new World Chess Champion.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

2019: Unbeaten Streak Record

In 2019, Carlsen extended his unbeaten streak in classical chess to 101 games at the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament.

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.

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.

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.