Magnus Carlsen Draws with 143,000 Players in Record Online Chess Game

Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen engaged in a historic online freestyle chess match against over 143,000 players worldwide, dubbed "Magnus Carlsen vs. The World," hosted by Chess.com. The game, which began on April 4 and lasted 46 days, featured a randomized initial piece arrangement and allowed each side 24 hours per move, with Team World voting collectively on their moves. Despite early positional advantages by Carlsen, Team World maintained strong, cautious play, ultimately forcing a draw through the threefold repetition rule on the 32nd move. This match set a new record for participants, surpassing previous "vs. The World" games by Garry Kasparov in 1999 and Viswanathan Anand in 2023. Carlsen praised the quality and soundness of the worldwide team's play, noting their strategic restraint was effective even if not the most enterprising. The event symbolized both a milestone in chess history and a demonstration of global intellectual collaboration.