Record-breaking start to ‘Magnus vs The World’ as 100,000 players take on Carlsen in largest-ever online chess game

World No.1 chess player Magnus Carlsen is currently engaged in a thrilling match against 100,000 players at the same time. How? The 100,000 participants are competing against the 34-year-old Norwegian in the Magnus vs The World match which got underway on Thursday on Chess.com.

The Magnus vs The World match has already broken the record for the largest online chess match ever. However, it is not the first time a chess Grandmaster is playing against the whole world. Earlier, former champions Garry Kasparov and Viswanathan Anand have also taken part in similar matches .

The Kasparov vs The World match on the MSN Gaming Zone in 1999 saw the Russian chess legend compete against 50,000 players. Indian chess great Anand, who won the world title five times, competed against 70,000 players on the 25th anniversary of Kasparov’s game. Both GMs won their respective matches.

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How Magnus vs The World match is unique

A few things are different about the Magnus vs The World match though. While Kasparov and Anand competed in traditional Classical matches, Carlsen is playing against the world in a Freestyle Chess (Chess960) match. In Freestyle Chess, the back positions of the pieces on a chess board are randomised.

Also, don’t expect a quick result to the match as it’s a chess match that will require voting. So while Carlsen is playing with White pieces, the Chess.com community will be together playing as Black. Every move of theirs will be decided by voting. Each team will have 24 hours to make a move.

Magnus vs The World breaks internet record

The Magnus vs The World match officially got underway on Thursday with Carlsen playing 1.e4.

The World Team is also receiving coaching from some of the top chess players including WGM Dina Belenkaya, NM Dane Mattson, IM David Martinez, IM David Pruess and GM Benjamin Bok.

“It’s incredible to see 100,000 chess players have the opportunity to compete against the greatest chess player of all time—passionately debating moves and ideas, strategizing, and trying to guess what Magnus will play next,” Sam Copeland, Chess.com’s Head of Community, said.

“We are also excited to see this battle take place in Freestyle Chess, a format which allows for the greatest freedom and creativity for the players and a format for which Magnus has long advocated. This is a great moment and milestone for the chess world, and we look forward to a fun and exciting game.”

For those who may still be interested in competition against Carlsen, the registration for the match is now closed.