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.
