Magnus Carlsen, the world number one, soared to a new landmark in chess history yesterday when the 34-year-old won all his nine games in the Grenke Freestyle Open at Karlsruhe, Germany.
Seven of his opponents were grandmasters, and the Norwegian’s virtuoso performance clocked in at 3385 rating points, a higher level than Bobby Fischer’s 11 out of 11 “picket fence” in the 1963-64 US Championship or Fabiano Caruana’s seven straight wins in the 2015 Sinquefield Cup. Fischer’s 6-0, 6-0 Candidates match wins against Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen in 1971 remain the ultimate yardstick, while further back, the benchmark was Alexander Alekhine’s 14 out of 15 at San Remo 1930.
It was a remarkable performance in physical terms. Carlsen came to Karlsruhe direct from his victory in Paris last week, and was fatigued by the two rounds a day schedule. He relied on grinding technique for several of his wins, but also triumphed in complex tactical battles against the eight-time French champion Étienne Bacrot, who asked Carlsen for a selfie before the start, and against the rising German star, Vincent Keymer, in the final round.
Carlsen’s laconic comment was: “I’m not going to do that again, that’s for sure!”
There were caveats. Freestyle chess, where the positions of the back row pieces are randomised, leads to significantly more decisive results than the classical game. Only Keymer, of Carlsen’s nine opponents, was rated above the elite GM 2700 level, while Freestyle games are not officially rated by Fide, the global chess body.
Still, it was a remarkable achievement, which demonstrated the No 1’s continuing hunger for fresh successes. The Grenke event in Karlsruhe also produced world record participation numbers of 3,000 players, doubling the 1,500 at the 1986 World Open in Philadelphia. A drone’s eye view of the multiple playing halls shows the scale of the vast operation.
Sohum Lohia, the 15-year-old talent who, together with his philanthropist mother, was the subject of an FT feature last year, made a major advance in his rising chess career at Southend yesterday when he qualified as an international master, the highest title after grandmaster.
To become an IM, you need three results or norms rated above 2450. Lohia achieved his first norm in 2023 and his second in 2024, but the third had proved elusive for the teenager, who is England’s No 2 junior after the grandmaster Shreyas Royal, 16. Support from an Indian grandmaster coach, Arjun Kalyan, has helped him.
In Lohia’s best Southend win, against a French master, he showed the power of a rook on the seventh rank.
Puzzle 2621
Mark Waterfield v Alan Walton, Wightlink International, Ryde 2025. White (to move) chose the obvious 1 Qxf7+ and went on to lose. Can you do better?
Click here for solution
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