World chess champion Magnus Carlsen marries longtime girlfriend Ella Victoria Malone

Dubai: In a moment as calculated as his moves on the chessboard, Magnus Carlsen traded pawns for promises, marrying longtime girlfriend Ella Victoria Malone in Oslo on Saturday. The five-time world chess champion braved the biting -7°C chill to wed the 26-year-old in a picturesque ceremony at Holmenkollen Chapel, proving his greatest checkmate yet might be in love.

The ceremony was followed by a grand reception at a five-star hotel in the city, marking a memorable start to the next chapter in Carlsen’s life.

Malone, born in 1998, has Norwegian and American roots. The couple was first seen together in February last year during the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T Challenge in Germany. Their relationship became more public as they were spotted together at various events, including the Champions Chess Tour Finals in Oslo and the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in New York in December.

In a September interview during the Speed Chess Championship, Carlsen shared insights into their dynamic: “It’s very nice to have her with me. She is understanding and supportive. That’s nice, and it’s good to have some distractions in case I don’t perform well.”

The world No 1 had a controversial moment recently when he was disqualified from the World Rapid Chess Championship for wearing jeans, breaching the dress code. However, he was allowed to compete in jeans at the World Blitz Chess Championship. The 34-year-old sparked debate when he and Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi agreed to share the blitz title after just three games of a sudden-death playoff.

This last one month proved particularly eventful, as Carlsen not only celebrated his wedding but also announced a new role as the global ambassador for the Esports World Cup. This comes as online chess is added to the event, scheduled to take place in Riyadh from July 31 to August 3.

Carlsen has also launched Freestyle Chess, which will begin its global tour this year with $750,000 events in Northern Germany, Paris, New York, Delhi, and Cape Town. A Freestyle Chess World Championship is also in the works.

Nine elite players, including Carlsen, US world Nos. 2 and 3 Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura, and India’s classical world champion Gukesh Dommaraju, are seeded to participate in every event. Carlsen will face Gukesh and Viswanathan Anand in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Germany from February 7—14, followed by Norway Chess 2025.

But for now, Carlsen is taking a moment to enjoy life with his queen.