Magnus Carlsen, the world number one and five-time world champion, has achieved the unimaginable. He finally crossed the 2900 rating in freestyle chess, an achievement that was long-sought for him in classical chess.
Carlsen’s peak rating in classical chess was 2882, achieved in May 2014, just months after winning his first World Championship. Despite dominating the chess world for nearly 15 years, he always fell short of reaching 2900.
However, in the newly introduced freestyle chess, he has reached a rating of 2909. The ratings were compiled based on performances in five major freestyle tournaments held between 2024 and 2025. The rating list includes 578 players who participated in at least one of the freestyle events in the past two years.
Magnus Carlsen’s Witty Remark
Carlsen, after getting the news, reacted with a witty joke as he said, “My wife is way more attracted to me now that I’ve achieved 2900. It’s incredible. I have never done that in classical chess, or in any format – and it’s not gonna happen again! It feels amazing.”
Carlsen also has an impressive record of high ratings in other formats. He is the only player in history to have crossed 2900 in rapid and blitz chess as well, with peak ratings of 2919 in rapid and 2986 in blitz.
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Top 10 Players In Freestyle Ratings, Magnus Carlsen At The Top
| Rank | Player | Rating |
| 1 | Magnus Carlsen | 2909 |
| 2 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2818 |
| 3 | Fabiano Caruana | 2804 |
| 4 | R Praggnanandhaa | 2773 |
| 5 | Arjun Erigaisi | 2769 |
| 6 | Vincent Keymer | 2766 |
| 7 | Ian Nepomniachtchi | 2758 |
| 8 | Levon Aronian | 2752 |
| 9 | Wesley So | 2748 |
| 10 | Alireza Firouzja | 2747 |
Also Read: Magnus Carlsen Breaks Silence On The “Painful Loss” To Gukesh D
