“Magnus himself called and asked if he could come to our tournament…” — Johan Sigeman

Lawyer and chess enthusiast Johan Sigeman explained how Magnus Carlsen came to play in TePe Sigeman & Co 2026. Johan says Magnus called the organizers himself to ask for participation, and shares his emotions about this.

Johan Sigeman

Lawyer, chess enthusiast

“It was Magnus Carlsen himself who called and asked if he could come…

We were about to fall off our chairs, hardly daring to believe it was true!”

Magnus Carlsen shared his thoughts about the tournament at the press conference:

Magnus Carlsen

World's No. 1

“It’s nice to finally get the chance to come back here since 2004!

And the field is excellent! It’s kind of scary to be honest. I thought there would be one or two other top players. But now it feels like there are five really good players in this field.

That’s really nice to see. It’s going to be a tough challenge!”

The TePe Sigeman & Co Chess Tournament is an annual international chess event held in Malmo, Sweden. Magnus Carlsen participates in the event for the second time, having finished 3rd in the 2004 edition of the tournament. After 3 rounds of the 2026 tournament, Magnus shares first place with five players with 2 points.

Credit: Peter Doggers