Magnus Carlsen is in Malmö for the seven-day Tepe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament, with a starting field that he himself believes consists of several "really, really good players".
"It's a little scary, to be honest," the chess icon says of the opposition.
"It's nice to see and it will be a tough challenge."
Carlsen's participation will draw the eyes of the entire chess world towards Malmö, believes Swedish grandmaster Nils Grandelius, who has been drawn to face Carlsen on Saturday.
“Biggest challenge”
"It will be very exciting. It is the biggest challenge you can get as a professional chess player. I am looking forward to it, to face the absolute best player in the whole world," says Nils Grandelius.
Interest in chess has exploded, but Magnus Carlsen believes that even more money and attention is needed going forward. And that's where Norwegian Manchester City striker Erling Haaland comes into the picture.
It was recently announced that he is making a major investment in Norway Chess and the Total Chess World Championship Tour, a new, global chess tournament, in a format that Carlsen requested. The annual tour will see 24 elite players compete in three disciplines – classical chess, rapid chess and blitz – to crown an overall world champion.
“Similarities with football”
When the news of Haaland's investment was published, the football star praised chess as "an incredible game", which has clear similarities to football.
"You have to think quickly, trust your gut and think several moves ahead. Strategy and planning are everything," Haaland said in a press release .
Magnus Carlsen doesn't want to take credit for successfully involving Haaland – he himself only met him five years ago in connection with a football match. But he is pleased with the new competition concept and Haaland's entry into the chess world.
"I think chess definitely needs other profiles to get involved, both to get attention and money. It's very, very good for chess."
Magnus Carlsen, 35, was born in Tønsberg, Norway.
His father taught him to play chess when he was five and at the age of eight he participated in his first tournament.
In 2004 he made his international breakthrough and became a grandmaster, aged 13. After an elegant game, a chess writer named him the “Mozart of chess”.
In 2009 he won his first world championship title, in the World Blitz Chess Championship.
In total, he has won 21 world championship titles since 2009, the most recent at the World Freestyle Chess Championship this year.
In 2010, at the age of 19, he became the youngest person ever to top the world rankings.
In 2019, he became the highest-rated player ever by the International Chess Federation (FIDE), with 2,882 points. Today, he has 2,840, which is the highest in the world.
He has won the World Championship in classical chess five times, but in 2023 he relinquished the world championship title.
Sources: Chess Magazine and Britannica.com
The Tepe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament will be held in Malmö from May 1 to 7.
All games can be followed live on Lichess and Chess.com. The Swedish Chess Federation also broadcasts on YouTube.
In Folkets Park in Malmö, games can be followed on a big screen on May 6-7.
Starting field: Magnus Carlsen, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Arjun Erigaisi, Jorden van Foreest, Yagiz Kaan Erdogmus, Nils Grandelius, Andy Woodward, Zhu Jiner.
