Magnus Carlsen

Sven Magnus Øen Carlsen (born 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian chess grandmaster. Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Champion, reigning six-time World Rapid Chess Champion, reigning nine-time World Blitz Chess Champion and the reigning FIDE Freestyle Chess World Champion. He is the only chess player to have become world chess champion in all four chess formats. Carlsen has held the No. 1 position in the FIDE rankings since 1 July 2011, the longest consecutive period, and trails only Garry Kasparov in time spent as the highest-rated player in the world. Carlsen's peak rating of 2882 is the highest in history. Furthermore, his peak ratings of 2919 in rapid and 2986 in blitz are the highest ever recorded. He also holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak at the elite level in classical chess at 125 games.

A chess prodigy, Carlsen finished first in the C group of the Corus chess tournament shortly after he turned 13 and earned the title of grandmaster a few months later. At 15, Carlsen became the youngest-ever player to qualify for the Candidates Tournament in 2005 after placing tenth in the Chess World Cup. Carlsen also won the Norwegian Chess Championship. At 17, he finished joint first in the top group of Corus. He surpassed a rating of 2800 at 18, the youngest at the time to do so, after winning the 2009 Pearl Spring Chess Tournament with a performance rating of 3002. Chess statistician Jeff Sonas declared it to be the best ever performance by a teenager. In 2010, at 19, Carlsen reached No. 1 position in the FIDE world rankings, the youngest person ever to do so.