The World No. 1 Dominates in Karlsruhe, But Fide Ratings Remain Elusive

In a stunning display of chess prowess, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has won all nine games at the Grenke Freestyle Open in Karlsruhe, Germany, setting a new record in the process.

The 34-year-old Norwegian grandmaster’s achievement is comparable to the great performances of Bobby Fischer, Anatoly Karpov, and Alexander Alekhine, but it will not be officially recognized by Fide due to the unconventional nature of Freestyle chess.

Carlsen’s victory was all the more impressive considering his fatigue after playing in the Paris leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam just days prior. Despite the grueling schedule, he relied on his grinding technique to secure wins, including a complex battle against eight-time French champion Étienne Bacrot.

However, Carlsen’s final round win against 20-year-old Vincent Keymer, his main Freestyle rival, was a tense struggle until the young German blundered in time pressure with an unsound knight sacrifice. Carlsen’s superior clock handling has been a key factor in his success, as he understands the chaotic Freestyle openings faster and deeper than his opponents.

The Grenke event drew a record 3,000 players, 500 more than in 2024 and double the highest US total at the 1986 World Open in Philadelphia. Just a day after the Grenke tournament, Carlsen was back in action, winning the late version of chess.com’s online Titled Tuesday.

However, he was upstaged in the early version by 13-year-old Turkish prodigy Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, who became the youngest ever winner of the highly competitive event.

Erdogmus’s impressive result was underlined by his strong performance in the Grenke Freestyle Open, where he drew with three 2700+ opponents and totaled 7/11.

Next Monday, the eighth and final episode of BBC Two’s Chess Masters: The Endgame will feature the four finalists Richie, Kai, Thalia, and Lula competing for the winner’s title.

In other chess news, Bodhana Sivanandan’s three-board simultaneous performance was a highlight of Episode 7 of Chess Masters, where she checkmated the fastest opponent and eliminated them from the competition.