Assault on the Carlsen record?

by ChessBase
2/26/2025 – The highest in chess history was achieved by Magnus Carlsen. It was Elo 2882, recorded in May 2014, breaking the record that had previously been set by Soviet and Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov. D Gukesh thinks it is possible to surpass this peak, but that it will be “very challenging” for him or any other player to achieve the feat in the near future. Firstpost interviewed the reigning world champion.

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Magnus Carlsen has been the world’s top-ranked player continuously since 2011. The Norwegian chess icon admits that he is past his peak, and no longer obsessed with competing. On the two-hour Joe Rogan Experience broadcast – with over three million views – the Norwegian chess icon said that his peak was in the first half of 2019 “when I was 28 and when I was most like a young Kasparov than ever been — very dynamic.”

He said he couldn't play the same opening he had previously played, "because they have been worked out to the point that they are basically unplayable. Apart from that my average level probably will be a little bit lower because I am a bit older and my brain is not as fast."

So can a player like the 18-year-old Gukesh achieve or even surpass the Carlsen record? “I do think it is possible,” he said to Firstpost on the sidelines of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Weissenhaus, Germany. “But I also understand that it is very challenging, especially since the ratings have in general, compared to a few years ago, been quite low at the top. So maybe in a few more years, it is possible, but right now it in the near future, that it’s not that likely.”

Gukesh is currently third in the world chess rankings, with a rating of 2787. He is also the top-ranked Indian. Arjun Erigaisi, who in December become only the second Indian in the 2800-rating club, has dropped to 2776, while R Praggnanandhaa, who won the Tata Steel tournament in Wijk aan Zee, is now at Elo 2758. The two are currently ranked fifth and eighth respectively.

The current standings on Live Chess Ratings

And here is his development in the last decade, shown on the ChessBase Players site:

And this is what Gukesh or any of the other super-talents have to catch up with:

Players database

You can get full information on the world's chess playing community in our Players' database, which gives you a wealth of details on the development of all rated players.

You should definitely explore this service, which is available by clicking "Players" on the right of our news page.

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