Magnus Carlsen (born Sven Magnus �en Carlsen on 30 November 1990) is a Norwegian (Norway) chess Grandmaster (Grandmaster (chess)) and chess prodigy currently ranked number one in the world (list of FIDE chess world number ones) on the official FIDE rating list.

On 26 April 2004 Carlsen became a Grandmaster at the age of age in years and days199011302004426, making him the third youngest Grandmaster (Chess prodigy#List of youngest grandmasters) in history. On 1 January 2010 the new FIDE rating list was published, and at the age of age in years and days19901130201011 he became the youngest chess player in history to be ranked world number one, breaking the record previously held by Vladimir Kramnik. Carlsen is also the 2009 World blitz chess champion.

His performance at the September–October 2009 Nanjing Pearl Spring tournament (Pearl Spring chess tournament#2009) has been described as one of the greatest in history and lifted him to an Elo rating of 2801, making him the fifth player to achieve a rating over 2800 - and aged 18 at the time, by far the youngest to do so.

Based on his rating (ELO rating system), Carlsen has qualified for the Candidates Tournament which will determine the challenger to face World Champion Viswanathan Anand in the World Chess Championship 2012.