 "Magnus Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa during Croatia rapid and blitz event. Chess.com")
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen is considered one of the greatest chess players to have ever graced the game. It’s not just fans who think this because even fellow competitors call him “GOAT.” Several top chess grandmasters have described the Norwegian star in a single word, revealing the respect he enjoys in the chess world.
The video was shared by Chess.com on their social media recently_,_ and it looks like it was shot during the SuperUnited Croatia Rapid & Blitz 2025 tournament, which Carlsen went on to win. In the video, the grandmasters were asked to describe Carlsen in one word. Here’s what they said about the five-time world champion.
Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa and Uzbek GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov both called Carlsen the “GOAT.” American GM Fabiano Caruana described him as “truly great,” while French player Alireza Firouzja said “consistent.” Dutch star Anish Giri chose the word “gifted” to describe Carlsen and Wesley So said “he’s the boss.”
How Carlsen described himself
Meanwhile, when Carlsen was asked to describe himself, he said “favourite” with a cheeky smile, showing that he knows very well how big of a player he is.
Carlsen has often said that there is no player better than him in today’s game. He openly calls himself the best, and his results prove it whenever he plays against the top players in the world.
“At the moment I think the older guys are better. They’re (younger guys) not ready to take over. Every single one of them has very clear flaws and that’s how it’s supposed to be at their age. Once-in-a-generation talents are once-in-a-generation talents for a reason – it’s not that easy,” Carlsen had said after winning the Norway Chess this year.
Carlsen recently won the inaugural edition of chess at Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Before that, he also won the Grenke Freestyle Chess Open and the Paris leg of Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.