Magnus Carlsen played three classical games over the weekend, as he helped Offerspill win the Norwegian League title for the first time. These three encounters were Carlsen’s last rated classical games before the World Championship match, where either Ian Nepomniachtchi or Ding Liren will take the world crown. If Carlsen does not choose to fight to regain the title, these could end up being his last three classical games as world champion.
The 37th edition of the Reykjavik Open will be held from March 29th until April 4th, 2023 in Harpa, the 28.000 sq. m. concert and conference hall in downtown Reykjavik. The tournament has been the flagship of Icelandic chess for many years and one of the most prestigious and well-liked open tournaments on the calendar every year. | Press release, Icelandic Chess Federation.
With Magnus Carlsen, chess has become incredibly popular in Norway and the Norwegian Junior and Children's Championships attracted a lot of young players. Maybe one of them is the next Magnus Carlsen? Holger Blauhut reports. | Photos: Holger Blauhut and the organisers
In 1982, when he was 15 years old, Simen Agdestein won the Norwegian Championship for the first time and became the youngest Norwegian Champion of all time. Three years later, in 1985, he became a Grandmaster, the first Norwegian ever to secure the title. Now, in the 2022 Norwegian Championship, which took place in mid-July, Agdestein set another record: The 55-year-old won the tournament with 8 out of 9 to become the oldest player ever to win the Championship. | Photo: Anniken Westby