Magnus Carlsen set to feature in Norway Chess 2025; eyes his 7th title

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is set to return to Norway Chess 2025, an event that has become synonymous with elite chess competition. Scheduled to take place in Stavanger from May 26 to June 6, the tournament will maintain its unique six-player double round-robin format, one of the few top-tier events that offers this structure.

Carlsen, with his current live rating of 2831, is the defending champion and heads into the tournament with the goal of securing his seventh Norway Chess title. The Norwegian’s relationship with Norway Chess is longstanding and impactful; he has competed in every edition since the tournament’s inception in 2013 and has six titles under his belt.

Describing himself with the word “hunger” in a press release, Carlsen highlighted his intense competitiveness as the driving force behind his success.

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Magnus Carlsen last won Norway Chess title in 2024

Magnus Carlsen’s latest triumph at the Norway Chess event was in 2024, where he clinched the title in the 12th edition. He amassed an impressive 17.5 points, finishing 1.5 points ahead of American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura and three points clear of Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa.

Kjell Madland, the founder of Norway Chess, expressed his enthusiasm for Carlsen’s participation, saying in the press release:

“Magnus Carlsen has been part of Norway Chess since the very beginning in 2013, shaping its legacy as one of the world’s strongest chess tournaments. We’re thrilled he will be playing for us in 2025 as well. His constant pursuit of excellence and legacy as one of the game’s greatest champions make every match he plays a must-watch event.”

The competition format will follow the traditional Norway Chess approach, where each player faces others twice. This system is designed to minimize random outcomes, allowing the strongest competitors to emerge based on consistently high performance.

The competition format will follow the traditional Norway Chess approach of the Armageddon tiebreak format. This system ensures that every game has a decisive outcome, as any match that ends in a draw moves directly to an Armageddon showdown, where players must race against the clock with uneven time controls. White is given more time on the clock but must win the game, while Black only needs to draw to claim victory.