The Magnus Carlsen Story

Magnus Carlsen is just 30 years old, but for 17 of those years he’s been a grandmaster, for 10, the world no. 1, and for the last 8, the World Chess Champion. A 7-part documentary that aired during the Magnus Carlsen Invitational gave a glimpse behind the scenes, including interviews with his father Henrik, older sister Ellen, manager Espen Agdestein and second Jon Ludvig Hammer. Magnus reveals he’s always unsure whether he’ll play the next match for the title, though it’s complicated: “I’m not necessarily that happy that I have it, I just would be very unhappy to not have it!”

Magnus made GM norms at the start of 2004 in Wijk aan Zee and the Aeroflot Open in Moscow, playing games that gained huge resonance around the chess world. He finally clinched the 3rd norm and grandmaster title in the Dubai Open, with a last-round draw against Viorel Iordachescu.