Magnus Carlsen beats Hikaru Nakamura to win the Chessable Masters

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen claims the crown by winning the 2025 Chessable Masters which was the first event of this year’s Champions Chess Tour. Magnus beat the online chess phenom, Hikaru Nakamura, in two consecutive matches to win the title, booking his spot in the Esports World Cup. Not only Carlsen but also Hikaru confirmed his spot in the Esports World Cup having finished as the runner-up.

Carlsen seemed to be on a roll as he crushed through the entire field, beating his opposition in matches one after another. Magnus Carlsen lost only ONE GAME, which was to Arjun Erigaisi in their semifinal match. After beating Hikaru 2.5-0.5 in the Winner’s Final, Magnus saw himself comfortably waiting for his Grand Finale match-up. Nakamura rose from the ashes as he beat Nepomniachtchi in a closely contested Loser’s Final, to then set up a rematch against the GOAT.

As many people believe, including Hikaru in the past, about Magnus being Hikaru’s kryptonite; the narrative was supported by the result. Magnus Carlsen’s wrapped up the match in under an hour, beating Nakamura another time, with a score of 2.5-1.5.

In the post-match interview, Magnus also commented on the prospect of Nakamura retiring from the sport, which he put out during the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam first leg following his unsatisfactory results and struggles with nerves. “I don’t see him retiring at least from faster chess any time soon” said an optimistic Carlsen.

The second event of the Champions Chess Tour–set to take place in May–will decide the rest of the line-up for the much-awaited Esport World Cup. The two giants of the sport, Magnus and Hikaru, have already made it; let’s see who else makes the cut.