Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura participated in a video on the Esports World Cup YouTube channel. Carlsen and Nakamura asked each other questions about their careers and fellow chess players. Hikaru asked Magnus if he considers himself the greatest chess player in history, and whether Fabiano Caruana is better than Nakamura:

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

World's No. 1

“[Hikaru: do you believe you’re the greatest chess player of all time?] …Yes. [Detector: True]

I actually did a similar test earlier, and I gave it a different answer which I thought I believed. And now I’ve kind of realized that maybe I was lying to myself.

[Hikaru: Do you consider me your greatest rival when it comes to Blitz chess?] Absolutely! [True]

[Hikaru: Do you genuinely think I am your equal?] No. [True]

[Hikaru: Do you think Fabiano is a better chess player than me?] Over the course of his career, yes… [Lie] …I’m not sure!!

The thing is, if you’re talking about total volume of work, then Hikaru is miles ahead. But if you’re talking about Classical chess specifically, then Fabiano has had a slightly better career.

[Hikaru: Do you think I’m overrated?] Okay… I’m doing the deep breath again… Generally, no. [True]

[Hikaru: Would chess be less interesting without me?] Yes! [True]”

In various interviews, Magnus Carlsen has denied or argued against calling himself the greatest player of all time. Carlsen has often mentioned Garry Kasparov or Bobby Fischer. In 2026, Magnus celebrated a streak of being World’s No. 1 in Classical chess for 15 unbroken years. Carlsen is a 5-time World Champion, 6-time World Rapid Champion, and 9-time World Blitz Champion.

Credit: Esports World Cup