Magnus Carlsen sets new benchmark with 9/9 score at Grenke Chess Freestyle Open; earns new Bobby Fischer comparison

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen outdid himself to achieve a perfect 9/9 score as he won the Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025 on Monday. In fact, Carlsen had won the tournament in round eight itself and achieving a perfect score has strengthened his legacy further as fans are comparing it to legendary chess player Bobby Fischer’s 11/11 score in the 1963-64 US Championship.

Carlsen had won nine matches on the trot at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2023; however, that achievement came in the Blitz time control. The victories at the Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025 came in Classical time control.

Carlsen clinches 9/9 score, calls it ‘incredible’

It has to be noted that Carlsen only faced one player rated above 2700 Elo in the tournament, which was Germany’s Vincent Keymer in Round 9. However, the 34-year-old Norwegian defeated five players who were rated between 2600 and 2700.

The fact that Carlsen’s nine-game winning streak came in Freestyle format, in which the back positions are randomised and there is not much data on the openings, makes it an even more impressive achievement.

The uniqueness of clinching the perfect score could be felt from Carlsen’s words after his grand victory. “It’s incredible. I have never done that in classical chess, or in any format and it’s not gonna happen again. It feels amazing,” Carlsen said in a video uploaded by ChessBase India.

Some other similar achievements in chess are USA Grandmaster Karen Grigoryan registering a 9/9 score at the 2019 VII Torneio Internacional Cidade de Famalicao or French Woman Grandmaster Andreaa Navrotescu securing 9/9 at the Menchik Memorial Challengers Tournament 2024 in London.

India’s Arjun Erigaisi stays alive in race to LA

The winner of the Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025 was to get a direct entry at the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 in July. However, as Carlsen, who won the Paris leg, has already qualified for it, a tiebreaker will be played among the seven players who finished second in Germany.

The seven players who finished joint second at the Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025 on 7 points are Leinier Dominguez, Fabiano Caruana, Andrey Esipenko, Alexey Sarana, Parham Maghsoodloo, Frederik Svane and India’s Arjun Erigaisi.

The tiebreaker will take place at a later date and the format has still not been revealed.