Magnus Carlsen spoke about his main goal at the Global Chess League 2026. Carlsen says that he wants to outplay Alireza Firouzja on time. Magnus notes that he did the same at the Esports World Cup 2026 and 2025.

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

World's No. 1

“[Question: Magnus, what are you most looking forward to at this GCL?] I want to do what I’ve been doing in the EWC for the last two years…

…which is flag the sh*t out of Alireza.”

The Global Chess League is an annual franchise-based team competition held since 2023. The event is organized by FIDE in joint venture with Tech Mahindra. The 2026 event will take place from September 5 to 13 in Bengaluru, India.

Credit: ChessBase India YouTube