Magnus Carlsen’s Opponent Misses a Mate-in-2

Since the conclusion of Norway Chess 2025, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has been very actively playing online blitz tournaments, having won the Early Titled Tuesday on June 17, 2025. Even though Carlsen managed to win the tournament undefeated, he was held on the ropes by his Round 6 opponent, IM Renato Terry, who missed a mate-in-2 against Magnus!

The Peruvian International Master is known for online blitz prowess and had the following position against Carlsen with the black pieces, where he missed a checkmate-in-2 (the answer is at the bottom of the article):

After Rb2+, Carlsen moved his king from g2 to h3, allowing his opponent to deliver a beautiful checkmate. However, the Magnus Effect seemed to work in Magnus’ favour as his opponent missed the winning move with over 30 seconds on the clock, eventually going on to lose the game.

Game and the Solution:

After all, how many players on the planet can claim that they checkmated Magnus Carlsen? Renato surely missed a golden opportunity to add his name to the list.

Photo courtesy: Norway Chess / Michal Walusza