Magnus Carlsen reveals the secret behind his greatness: 'It’s clear that there are some good genes'

Magnus Carlsen isn’t just the standout chess player in the current generation, he is widely regarded as one of the best to have ever played the game and is considered at par with icons such as Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov, Bobby Fischer among others. The Norwegian Grandmaster has occupied the top spot in the world rankings since 2011 and won the World Championship five consecutive times before voluntarily vacating his title in 2023.

And thanks to his incredible mind, he wields a considerable influence on the sport – although that influence has led to a breakdown in relations with world governing body FIDE.

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‘There’s no doubt that I’m incredibly, naturally gifted’: Carlsen

When asked about the secret behind his meteoric rise in the sport through his teenage years and his domination of chess since moving to the top of the FIDE ratings 14 years ago, the 34-year-old said that while he is “incredibly, naturally gifted” at chess, his genes might have something to do with it as well.

“I think it has to be a variety of factors. I think there’s no doubt that I’m incredibly, naturally gifted at the game. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have come this far,” Carlsen said on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

“And my dad is incredibly good with numbers. He started playing chess quite late but became decent. My mother was quite smart and my sisters are very intelligent too. So it’s clear that there are some good genes,” the Norwegian added.

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Magnus’s father Henrik was an amateur chess player and introduced him to the sport at the age of five. Magnus was said to have not shown much interest in the sport initially, and that his original motivation to learn the sport was to beat his elder sister.

Magnus’ father was an IT consultant besides being an amateur chess player and would later become his manager and spokesperson. His mother Sigrun – who had passed away last year after a long battle with illness – was a chemical engineer.