London, Nov 9 — World No.1 and multiple-time World Champion, Magnus Carlsen will be competing in the Super Rapid tournament at this year's London Chess Classic, which will be played on December 5 and 6, 2026, at Novotel London West.
Carlsen, the five-time World Champion in classical chess, has won the LCC Masters title a record four times. He'll be competing in London in preparation for the defence of his World Rapid and Blitz titles in Istanbul after Christmas.
Carlsen will be facing a star-studded field which includes French star Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Dutch number-one Anish Giri and India's Nihal Sarin. These three will be joined by the nine Grandmasters of the LCC Masters, headed by World No. 5, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, the players of the LCC Challengers, and many of the top seeds from the LCC Swiss. Also competing will be English chess sensation Bodhana Sivanandan, who recently became the youngest Woman Grandmaster in the history of the game.
"The Super Rapid tournament offers amateur chess players of all standards a unique chance not only to play in the same event as a true chess legend, but also to possibly play against Carlsen in one of the early rounds. The Swiss format for the draw means that in the first couple of games Carlsen is likely to be playing a much lower-rated opponent," the organisers of LCC informed on Monday.
The Super Rapid is an Open tournament, meaning that anyone can take part and have a chance of playing against Magnus Carlsen.
The Super Rapid will be the final competitive event in this year's XTX Markets London Chess Classic. The tournament will begin with an opening ceremony and drawing of lots at the iconic Tower of London, with the majority of games taking place alongside the LCC Festival at Novotel London West in Hammersmith.
The London Chess Classic includes many tournaments -- regular and weekend events for part-timers.
The LCC Masters is an elite invitation-only all-play-all tournament featuring ten of the world's top grandmasters, including reigning champion Nodirbek Abdusattorov, American grandmaster Levon Aronian, and Indian speed chess specialist Nihal Sarin.
The LCC Challengers is an invitation-only all-play-all tournament giving some of the best up-and-coming talents the chance to qualify for next year's LCC Masters.
The LCC Swiss is a 9-round classical tournament suitable for those seeking IM and GM norms.