Magnus Carlsen of Norway has won the Chess world Championship for the last four consecutive years and is the sportsbooks’ -300 favorite to win it again this year. Photo credit goes to Lennart Ootes (Wiki Commons)
When the World Chess Championship begins on March 15 in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Magnus Carlsen is projected to be the odds-on favorite to successfully defend his title, with sportsbooks giving him odds of +300.
Is it possible that the Norwegian will become only the third player in history to win at least five world titles in a row?
Fabiano Caruana, who competes for the United States and was defeated by Magnus Carlsen in the 2018 championship match, is one of the eight contenders trying to take the title away from Carlsen.
Magnus Carlsen is unrivaled in the world of professional chess competition.
People who are impressed by the Toronto Raptors’ current winning streak of 15 games in the NBA should familiarize themselves with Carlsen. The Norwegian player, who is 29 years old, has not been defeated in his previous 111 consecutive classical games. That is a new record for all time.
Carlsen is also the current and former holder of the World Chess Championship title. This competition takes place every two years and the next iteration will take place in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Next month, the world’s best chess grandmasters will convene there.
Carlsen is the prohibitive favorite to win the chess championship for the fifth time in a row. The odds at sportsbooks have Carlsen pegged as a prohibitive -300 favorite.
The Odds to Win the World Chess Championship in 2020
| Player | Country | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Magnus Carlsen | Norway | -300 |
| Fabiano Caruana | United States | +550 |
| Liren Ding | China | +700 |
| Alexander Grischuk | Russia | +2000 |
| Ian Nepomniachtchi | Russia | +2000 |
| Anish Giri | Netherlands | +2800 |
| Hao Wang | China | +5000 |
| Teimour Radjabov | Azerbaijan | +5000 |
| Kirill Alekseenko | Russia | +20000 |
Garry Kasparov of Russia and Emanuel Lasker of Germany each have a record of six consecutive world titles won, making them tied for the record.
The World of Chess Is Carlsen’s to Rule
Carlsen defeated Viswanathan Anand in 2013, after Anand had already won five world titles, including the previous four. Anand was from India. He won his second title with another victory over Anand. Since then, Carlsen has won a total of two more crowns.
The Norwegian child prodigy is being called “the Mozart of chess” by commentators. A month ago, he broke the record held by Sergei Tiviakov for the most consecutive matches without suffering a loss, which was 110.
If Carlsen were to win just one more world championship, the value of his rookie card would likely skyrocket. From 1985 to 1995, Kasparov was undefeated at the world championship level, making him arguably the most famous chess grandmaster of all time.
Also Read: 2019 FIDE Chess World Cup: Four upsets on Day 1
Between the years 1894 and 1910, Lasker won six consecutive world chess championships, making him a luminary at the turn of the 20th century.
They are one of eight players who have won at least four world chess championships, but only five of those players have managed to win as many as four in a row at any point in their careers. They are among the best ever to compete in the game.
Competition Open to Candidates
If the National Football League (NFL) was structured the same way that the World Chess Championship is, the Kansas City Chiefs would already be one of the teams competing in Super Bowl 55.
Carlsen automatically earns one of the two spots that are still up for grabs in the championship match because he is the reigning champion. In the meantime, eight additional competitors will face off against one another in what is known as the Candidates Tournament.
This is a competition with two rounds of round robin. The winner of this competition will earn the right to challenge Carlsen for the chess world championship.
Fabiano Caruana, an American, is one of the eight remaining candidates. He was defeated by Carlsen in the final match of the 2018 world championship.
Ding Laren of China is yet another candidate for the final spot. In 2019, he won the title of Grand Champion of Chess. Teimour Radjabov of Azerbaijan has defeated a total of four world champions, including Kasparov and Carlsen in 2014. His most recent victory came in 2014.
Should You Take Part in the Game?
Every great champion is brought to their knees at some point. Is this going to be the year that Carlsen finally loses?
It is completely understandable if the prospect of playing Carlsen at such poor odds does not excite you. Those interested in placing a wager with potential profit on the World Chess Championship can take advantage of the Carlsen vs. the field prop wager offered by some sportsbooks.
The Odds to Win the World Chess Championship in 2020
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Magnus Carlsen | -300 |
| Field | +200 |
This wager gives you all eight challengers rolled into one, so you don’t have to roll the dice to see which of the eight contenders will emerge victorious from the Candidates Tournament.
Even so, it is difficult to imagine anyone other than Carlsen emerging victorious from this competition. He has maintained this level of excellence for a number of years now. He hasn’t even reached his prime years yet, and he’s 29 years old.
Pick: Magnus Carlsen (-300)
