Prepare against Magnus Carlsen
GM · Norway · World #1 classical · FIDE ID 1503014
When preparing against Magnus Carlsen, expect 1.e4 in 44% of White games. Against 1.e4 the reply is 1...c5 (37% of games); against 1.d4, 1...Nf6 (60%). Lowest win rate among frequent openings: Ruy Lopez: Closed as Black, 29.6% over 152 games.
Our database contains 8,292 games by Magnus Carlsen, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Below you'll find Magnus Carlsen's most-played openings with White and Black, career performance record, notable wins and top events — everything you need to scout Magnus Carlsen before a game. You can open the same data in the free interactive preparation workstation, which builds a move-by-move opening tree from every game.
Ratings
| Time control | Current | Peak | Peak date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical | 2,823 | 2,882 | Aug 2019 |
| Rapid | 2,803 | 2,919 | Jul 2017 |
| Blitz | 2,860 | 2,986 | Dec 2017 |
Performance record
| Split | Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8,292 | 4,563 | 2,460 | 1,269 | 55.0% |
| As White | 4,212 | 2,554 | 1,109 | 549 | 60.6% |
| As Black | 4,080 | 2,009 | 1,351 | 720 | 49.2% |
Move-by-move preparation stats
Straight from the preparation tree built over all of Magnus Carlsen's games — the same tree the interactive prep board lets you walk to any depth. Scores are from Magnus Carlsen's side.
First moves as White (4,200 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| e4 | 1,833 | 43.6% | 72.7% |
| d4 | 1,263 | 30.1% | 73.6% |
| Nf3 | 398 | 9.5% | 75.9% |
| c4 | 343 | 8.2% | 71.4% |
| b3 | 86 | 2.0% | 75.6% |
| g3 | 50 | 1.2% | 82.0% |
Main lines as White
- 1.e4 — 44% of White games, 72.7% score
- …e5 (40% of these games) — Carlsen usually continues Nf3 (69.6% score)
- …c5 (38% of these games) — Carlsen usually continues Nf3 (73.6% score)
- …e6 (8% of these games) — Carlsen usually continues d4 (77.6% score)
- 1.d4 — 30% of White games, 73.6% score
- …Nf6 (69% of these games) — Carlsen usually continues c4 (71.2% score)
- …d5 (26% of these games) — Carlsen usually continues c4 (72.7% score)
- …e6 (1% of these games) — Carlsen usually continues e4 (85.7% score)
As Black against 1.e4 (1,945 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| c5 | 727 | 37.4% | 65.7% |
| e5 | 669 | 34.4% | 59.4% |
| c6 | 104 | 5.3% | 63.9% |
| e6 | 98 | 5.0% | 70.4% |
| g6 | 92 | 4.7% | 70.7% |
| Nf6 | 49 | 2.5% | 63.3% |
As Black against 1.d4 (1,455 games)
| Move | Games | Share | Player score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 872 | 59.9% | 62.2% |
| d5 | 344 | 23.6% | 67.4% |
| g6 | 56 | 3.8% | 75.9% |
| e6 | 41 | 2.8% | 73.2% |
| f5 | 34 | 2.3% | 75.0% |
| d6 | 21 | 1.4% | 69.0% |
Magnus Carlsen's chess games
All 8,292 games by Magnus Carlsen in the Chess.ceo database (Apr 2003 - Sep 2026) are free to browse, search and replay: filter by opening, opponent, event or date on the player page, or step through any game on the analysis board. Record: 4,563 wins, 2,460 draws, 1,269 losses.
Openings as White
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B50 | Sicilian | 288 | 185/62/41 | 64.2% |
| D37 | Indian Defense | 274 | 165/70/39 | 60.2% |
| A07 | Réti Opening | 156 | 105/37/14 | 67.3% |
| D15 | Slav Defense | 145 | 85/38/22 | 58.6% |
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 145 | 67/61/17 | 46.2% |
| D02 | London System | 134 | 101/21/12 | 75.4% |
| A29 | English Opening: Reverse Sicilian | 132 | 68/45/19 | 51.5% |
| B90 | Sicilian: Najdorf | 123 | 74/33/16 | 60.2% |
| A13 | English Opening | 105 | 60/29/16 | 57.1% |
| E04 | Catalan | 98 | 49/37/12 | 50.0% |
Openings as Black
| ECO | Opening | Games | W/D/L | Win rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D37 | Indian Defense | 261 | 120/95/46 | 46.0% |
| B40 | Sicilian | 245 | 140/62/43 | 57.1% |
| B06 | Modern Defense | 176 | 108/35/33 | 61.4% |
| D45 | Slav Defense | 153 | 59/70/24 | 38.6% |
| C88 | Ruy Lopez: Closed | 152 | 45/80/27 | 29.6% |
| B30 | Sicilian: Rossolimo | 131 | 58/51/22 | 44.3% |
| A04 | Réti Opening | 126 | 84/25/17 | 66.7% |
| C67 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | 123 | 40/63/20 | 32.5% |
| E15 | Queen's Indian Defense | 116 | 46/38/32 | 39.7% |
| E05 | Catalan | 107 | 41/47/19 | 38.3% |
Notable wins
| Date | Opponent | Elo | Event | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2022 | Fabiano Caruana | 2,847 | Wch Blitz | C88 |
| Mar 2017 | Wesley So | 2,822 | PRO League KO Stage | E11 |
| Jan 2019 | Shakhriyar Mamedyarov | 2,817 | 81st Tata Steel Masters | D27 |
| Mar 2011 | Viswanathan Anand | 2,817 | Amber Rapid 20th | C86 |
| Oct 2025 | Hikaru Nakamura | 2,816 | Clutch Chess: Champions | B27 |
Top events
| Event | Year | Games | Score | TPR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titled Tuesday | 2026 | 1,836 | 1,526 | 2,776 |
| Wch Blitz | 2023 | 147 | 111.5 | 2,893 |
| Wch Rapid | 2023 | 144 | 105.5 | 2,862 |
| Chess.com Speed Chess | 2023 | 103 | 68.5 | 2,885 |
| Speed Chess | 2022 | 100 | 70 | 2,907 |
| Bullet Chess Winners | 2023 | 91 | 51 | 2,756 |
| Carlsen-Tang Bullet | 2021 | 84 | 53 | 2,642 |
| FIDE World Cup | 2023 | 78 | 55 | 2,821 |
Frequent opponents
Head-to-head records: Hikaru Nakamura (398 games) · Alireza Firouzja (295 games) · Wesley So (242 games) · Levon Aronian (239 games) · Fabiano Caruana (219 games) · Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (205 games) · Ian Nepomniachtchi (173 games) · Viswanathan Anand (146 games)
Interactive opening tree from all 8,292 games, weak-spot detection and engine analysis.
Start preparationFrequently asked questions
Where can I find Magnus Carlsen's chess games?
8,292 games by Magnus Carlsen, from Apr 2003 to Sep 2026, are free to browse and replay move by move — no signup needed. The preparation view groups them into an opening tree showing every line Magnus Carlsen has played.
What does Magnus Carlsen play on the first move as White?
Across 4,200 games with White in our database, Magnus Carlsen opens with 1.e4 (44% of games), 1.d4 (30% of games), 1.Nf3 (9% of games). Against 1.e4 as Black, Magnus Carlsen answers 1...c5 (37% of games), 1...e5 (34% of games), 1...c6 (5% of games). Against 1.d4: 1...Nf6 (60% of games), 1...d5 (24% of games), 1...g6 (4% of games).
What openings does Magnus Carlsen play as White?
As White, Magnus Carlsen's most-played openings in our database are: Sicilian (288 games, 64.2% win rate); Indian Defense (274 games, 60.2% win rate); Réti Opening (156 games, 67.3% win rate). The full breakdown of 4,212 games with White is in the table above.
What openings does Magnus Carlsen play as Black?
As Black, Magnus Carlsen most often plays: Indian Defense (261 games, 46.0% win rate); Sicilian (245 games, 57.1% win rate); Modern Defense (176 games, 61.4% win rate). See the table above for the top ten Black openings across 4,080 games.
What is Magnus Carlsen's FIDE rating?
Magnus Carlsen is currently rated 2,823 in classical chess, 2,803 in rapid and 2,860 in blitz. Peak classical rating: 2,882 (Aug 2019).
How many games has Magnus Carlsen played?
Our database contains 8,292 games by Magnus Carlsen, covering Apr 2003 to Sep 2026. Overall record: 4,563 wins, 2,460 draws, 1,269 losses (55.0% win rate).
How do I prepare against Magnus Carlsen?
8,292 games by Magnus Carlsen reveal their opening repertoire, most-played lines, and the variations where they score worst — the raw material for targeted preparation. The interactive opening tree lets you walk every line to any depth.