It may sound like fantasy, but a chess grandmaster competing against the entire world is real. The legendary Norwegian chess player and former world champion Magnus Carlsen is presently engaged in a high-stakes online matchup with 140,000 players from around the world. The match, which was hosted by Chess.com, began on April 4 and is headed for an unexpected outcome: a draw.
The main pieces, such as the queen, bishops, and rooks, are positioned at random in Carlsen’s game of freestyle chess. Only the pawns remain in their customary positions. The benefit of memorized openings is eliminated in this variation of chess, which necessitates flexibility and inventiveness.
This match uses crowdsourcing for every move. Every action is decided by Team World, which consists of 140,000 individuals. Both the worldwide team and Carlsen, who is playing White, have 24 hours to react. The globe has held its footing admirably thus far.
Carlsen acknowledged in a recent post that things might not work out for him. “We’re currently on our way to a draw by perpetual check,” he stated. “In the beginning, I felt a little better, but they haven’t given me a chance since.” Carlsen claims that Team World has played “very sound chess” throughout the tournament, even though they are the chess grandmaster competing against the entire world.
Carlsen has maintained his composure despite competing against the world as a chess grandmaster. At thirteen, Carlsen, who was renowned for his composed, incisive play, was promoted to grandmaster. He is currently 34 years old, has won five world championships, and in 2014, he attained the highest chess rating ever, 2882. Since 2011, he has held the top spot in the world rankings.
And headlines are nothing new to Carlsen. He made headlines last year when he left a tournament in New York due to a dress code controversy. He was fined for refusing to take off his jeans, and he later sold them for $36,100, all of which was donated to a good cause.
The current match shows how chess is evolving. A chess grandmaster playing against the world would have seemed impossible a few decades ago. Today, technology makes it a reality—and 140,000 minds united are proving to be a formidable opponent.
Whether it ends in a draw or a rare loss for Carlsen, this match will go down as a unique moment in chess history. It’s not just about one man against the crowd. It’s about how connected the chess world has become—and how even the best can be challenged by a united front.
