Magnus Carlsen proved he is still the world’s top chess player by winning the Norway Chess title for the seventh time. Despite some ups and downs, he secured the championship on the final day. Although he drew with Arjun Erigaisi and lost the Armageddon playoff, Carlsen still claimed the title.

Caruana Moves to Second Place

D Gukesh, the Classical world champion, was just half a point behind Carlsen before the last round. However, he lost to Fabiano Caruana and finished third. This allowed Caruana to rise to second place. The tournament in Stavanger also showed that experienced players remain dominant, with Carlsen (34), Caruana (32), and Nakamura (37) taking the top four spots.

Carlsen Confident Against Younger Players

Carlsen believes that young talents like Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi are skilled but not yet ready to lead the chess world. He said he can still “outplay the kids.” Despite criticizing the Classical format and hinting at playing less, Carlsen did not rule out a return to Norway Chess next year. “I might be back here next year. I cannot be sure,” he said.

Future of Classical Chess

Carlsen has held the world No. 1 spot since 2011 and won five World Championships. In 2022, he decided not to defend his title, citing a lack of interest in Classical chess. Recently, he has focused on Freestyle Chess (Chess960), co-founding the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour and the Freestyle Chess Players Club. However, his recent Norway Chess win shows he may still have more to offer in Classical chess.