Magnus Carlsen promotes to the World Cup finals FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Author: Maria Fragaki
Magnus Carlsen has been the undisputed World Champion since 2013, but has never won or even advanced to the finals of the World Cup. This year, after defeating 69th seed Nijat Abasov, Carlsen promoted to the finals, where he will face either Fabiano Caruana or Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. Let’s go back in time and remember Carlsen’s World Cup journey.
2005
At the end of 2005, Carlsen participated at the Chess World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Despite getting eliminated by GM Gata Kamsky and finishing in the tenth place, Carlsen became the youngest player to be an official World Championship Candidate.
2007
Carlsen reached the semi-final round of the World Chess Cup in December in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia, after defeating Michael Adams in the round of 16 and Ivan Cheparinov in the quarterfinals. In the semi-final, he was eliminated by the eventual winner, Gata Kamsky, scoring ½–1½, to finish 3rd along with GM Sergey Karjakin.
2009
Carlsen had committed to play at the London Chess Classic on 7–15 December 2009, so he declined the participation at that year’s World Cup (20 November – 14 December 2009), in Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia. Based on his average ranking from the July 2009 and January 2010 FIDE lists though, Carlsen eventually qualified for the Candidates Tournament that would determine the Challenger to World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2012.
2013
Carlsen played in the 2013 Candidates Tournament, which took place in London, from 15 March to 1 April. He won the tournament on tiebreak over Vladimir Kramnik, and earned the right to challenge Anand for the World Championship. The same year, Carlsen became the new World Chess Champion, a title he held until 2023, when he withdrew from the World Chess Championship Cycle.
2021
Carlsen won the third place match against Fedoseev at the 2021 FIDE World Cup in Sochi after being defeated in the semifinals by Duda, who eventually won the event.
2023
In the FIDE World Cup 2023, Carlsen has reached the finals for the first time in his long chess career by defeating 65th seed Aryan Tari in the third round, 32nd seed Vincent Keymer in the fourth round, Vasyl Ivanchuk in the fifth round, Gukesh D. in the quaterfinals, and Nijat Abasov in the semifinals. In the finals he will face the winner of the tiebreaks between Fabiano Caruana and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu.
