Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen is looking for new horizons and seems to have found his ideal place in poker.
After his presence in the most renowned poker tournaments in the world and his recent appearance in Las Vegas, all eyes have been on him. The king of chess comes to poker and this is just beginning.
Magnus Carlsen: the grandmaster of chess
Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen was born in the city of Tønsberg (Norway) in 1990. His history with chess began with his father, Henrik Carlsen, who very early began to teach him the basic rules of the game. Over time, Magnus would begin to develop his skills as a born strategist and calculator, qualities that would lead him to become number 1 in the world.
At just 13 years old, Magnus (who was already immersed in the world of chess) would achieve the 2500 ELO points that the International Chess Federation (FIDE) requires to become a Grandmaster (GM) of this sport. Since then, Carlsen has been the leader in this discipline, with the record for the most unbeaten games in classical chess, and ranked as the most successful in this sport.
Magnus Carlsen’s titles in chess
Everyone knew that Carlsen was capable of achieving great things, but what few could imagine is that a child’s curiosity would go so far. For Magnus, beyond his histrionic personality, his sporting achievements speak for themselves.
And, to tell the truth, if we review his achievements, perhaps we are facing one of the most successful athletes of all time:
- World champion for 10 years in a row (2013-2023).
- World chess champion in the Rapid category (2014, 2015 and 2019).
- World chess champion in the Blitz category (2014, 2017, 2018 and 2019).
- Norway Chess (2016, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022).
- Chess Oscar Award (2009-2013).
- Peer Gynt Award (2011).
- Norwegian Sportsman of the Year Award (2013).
- Sportsman Award (2009, 2012, 2013 and 2014).
Magnus Carlsen and poker
Magnus Carlsen has achieved, due to his public recognition, a very high impact after his appearance in some of the most prestigious poker competitions. However, according to his own words, the relationship between the champion and one of the most famous card games in the world goes back a long time.
Playing poker at online casinos like Bodog or attending different events as a spectator in his spare time, Carlsen is in love with the sport.
Since he got involved, Carlsen has already collected some interesting prizes. His best record is in the last Main Event of the Norwegian Poker Championships, reaching 25th place out of 1050 players. In addition, he signed a sponsorship contract with the Kindred Group, which suggests that we can get used to his presence in poker tournaments and online poker.
Will Magnus Carlsen leave chess?
Although Magnus Carlsen recently rocked the chess world with a controversial announcement, it is not true that the chess grandmaster is retiring from chess altogether.
What he said, specifically, is that until 2024 he will not practice chess in person, but in his place, he prefers the dynamics of online chess, which allows him to play from his house.
The famous Norwegian chess celebrity was quite irritated with the commotion that was caused by his statements. Among various things he said, he mentioned being fed up with “damn” airports, and many other unfriendly statements, although very eloquent, without a doubt.