The Norwegian chess phenom won a tough tournament but managed to win the competition despite losing two points on the day two. Carlsen won in a number of games with the Blacks. In the 176-strong field, he converted multiple seemingly unwinnable positions to finish against Nakamura, Haik M. Martirosyan, Anish Giri and more.

After a successful tournament, Carlsen ended the day with a win of one point behind Hikaru Nakamura, who shot for his first world championship in these faster time format. However, as Richard Rapport quickly made a peace offering to the American in form of the infamous draw line in the Berlin Defense, Carlsen was able to capitalize with back-to-back wins, including a miraculous save against Rapport in the next round of the tournament.

Although the world number one sacrificial attack was dubious, and he was totally lost at multiple points of the game, he found a way to swindle his way to victory in a fast-paced situation that ended with three queens on the board.

There’s a lot to argument that it was the game that decided it all, even though there were seven rounds of play left waiting. It was a topsy-turvy and volatile event, with little room for error; first, he lost on time against Ian Nepomniachtchi, then against Alexey Sarana, only two rounds to go, but the mistakes of the pack meant he was still clear in the lead heading into the final round.

With an unbeaten fifth lead heading towards the final match, winning the White pieces against the reigning champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Carlsen has chosen for the Ruy Lopez, allowing his opponent to overextend and strike back after an odious piece sacrifice, converting a clear victory and regaining his title spectacularly.

31. The victory looms from the third-thirty of the world.

With his victories in the first and second World Championships, Carlsen is again the simultaneous titleholder for the first time in his career and the third successive years after 2014 and 2022. Of course, this accomplishment is a resurgence: from the decision to rescind his classical world championship title, only a matter of time now, until either Ding Liren or Ian Nepomniachtchi get to sit on an empty throne.