Magnus Carlsen Height, Weight, Age, Family, Facts, Education, Biography

Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess player who has won the World Chess Championship 5 times (2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021), the World Rapid Chess Championship thrice (2014, 2015, 2019), and the World Blitz Chess Championship 5 times (2009, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019). Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and often the greatest, he had held the number 1 position (as of February 2024) in the FIDE (Fédération Internationale des Échecs) world chess rankings continuously since July 1, 2011. His peak rating of 2882 (achieved in May 2014) was the highest in history (as of February 2024) and he also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak (125 games; including 42 wins and 83 draws) at the top level in classical chess. In 2013, Time magazine had included him in its list of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World’.

Born Name

Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen

Nick Name

Mozart of Chess

Sun Sign

Sagittarius

Born Place

Tønsberg Municipality, Vestfold og Telemark County, Norway

Residence

Oslo, Østlandet, Norway

Nationality

Education

Magnus, after finishing primary school, had taken a year off to participate in international chess tournaments held in Europe during the autumn of 2003. He had returned to complete his schooling at the Norwegian College of Elite Sport, an upper secondary school with sports as a focus, located in Nadderud, Bærum, Norway.

Occupation

Chess Player

Family

• Father – Henrik Albert Carlsen (IT Consultant)
• Mother – Sigrun Øen (Chemical Engineer)
• Siblings – Ingrid Carlsen (Younger Sister), Ellen Øen Carlsen (Older Sister), Signe Carlsen (Older Sister)
• Others – Kurt Magnus Carlsen (Paternal Grandfather), Nils Sverre Øen (Maternal Grandfather), Berit Bakketun (Maternal Grandmother)

Net Worth

Magnus Carlsen’s net worth had been $50 million according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 10 in or 178 cm

Weight

73 kg or 161 lbs

Girlfriend / Spouse

Magnus has dated –

1. Elisabet Lorentzen Djønne (2019–2021)

Race / Ethnicity

White

He is of Norwegian descent.

Hair Color

Dark Brown

Eye Color

Hazel

Sexual Orientation

Straight

Distinctive Features

• Toned physique
• Side-cropped, quiff hairstyle
• Cheerful smile
• Often sports a light stubble or rugged beard

Magnus Carlsen Facts

1. He had exhibited an aptitude for intellectual challenges from a very young age. He was able to solve 50-piece jigsaw puzzles when he was 2 years and by the time he had turned 4, he used to assemble Lego sets whose instructions were intended for children in the age group of 10–14. His father, an amateur player, had then started teaching him chess.
2. Magnus’ memory was so sharp as a child that he was able to recall the locations, populations, flags, and capitals of all the countries in the world when he was 5 years old. Soon after this, he had memorized the locations, populations, coats-of-arms, and administrative centers of almost all the 356 Norwegian municipalities. In his childhood, he also used to love playing soccer and reading Donald Duck comic books. He also used to practice skiing until the age of 10.
3. In November 2002, he had tied for first place at the 2002 World Under-12 Championship and had eventually finished runner-up to Ian Nepomniachtchi on tiebreak. As fate would have it, in December 2021, nearly 2 decades later, Magnus would defeat Ian to win the World Chess Championship for the 5th time. The 6th game of this 14-game championship match was a 136-move win for Magnus and had lasted 7 hours and 45 minutes. It was the then longest game in the history of the World Chess Championship.
4. He had surpassed the FIDE rating of 2800 at the age of 18 and was the then youngest player to achieve the feat. In 2010, aged 19, he had reached the number 1 position in the FIDE world rankings for the first time, becoming the then youngest person ever to do so.
5. In 2014, he had become the first player ever to hold the World Chess Championship, the World Rapid Chess Championship, and the World Blitz Chess Championship simultaneously. He had repeated the feat in 2019.
6. He had won the Chess Oscar, a now-defunct international award presented annually to the best chess player in the world, from 2009 to 2013. The winner of the award used to be selected through a worldwide poll of leading chess critics, writers, and journalists.
7. Renowned film director J. J. Abrams had offered him a role in the 2013 sci-fi movie Star Trek Into Darkness as a ‘chess player from the future’. However, Magnus had to pass over the role as he was unable to get a work permit in time for the shooting.
8. In October 2013, he had co-founded an Oslo-based company called Play Magnus AS whose first product was an iOS app called Play Magnus that allows users to play a chess engine created using a database of thousands of his recorded games. The company had produced 2 further apps called Magnus Trainer (2016) and Magnus Kingdom of Chess (2018).
9. In March 2019, Play Magnus AS had merged with Chess24.com (an internet chess server). In September 2019, the group had acquired Chessable, an interactive marketplace and platform for learning chess. In October 2020, Play Magnus AS had been listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange, raising USD 30.2 million and giving the company a valuation of USD 85.8 million. Magnus Chess, an entity controlled by Magnus and his family, owns 9.5% of Play Magnus AS. Play Magnus AS had acquired iChess in November 2020.
10. He is an ardent supporter of Spanish soccer giants Real Madrid CF and after he had won the World Chess Championship in 2013, the club had invited him to take the honorary kick to start a La Liga game against Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol in November 2013.
11. He also follows the Premier League and often plays fantasy football. In December 2019, he had reached the number 1 spot on the Fantasy Premier League game, beating 7 million other players. He had eventually ended the season in 10th place.

Featured Image by Magnus Carlsen / Instagram