Rivalry · 2 title events
20
Anand wins
82
draws
41
Carlsen wins
143 recorded games, 2005–2026. Score 61–82 to Carlsen. Source: chessgames.com
| Year | Winner | Score | Where | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Magnus Carlsen | 6½–3½ | Chennai | Best of 12, tiebreaks if necessary |
| 2014 | Magnus Carlsen | 6½–4½ | Sochi | Best of 12, tiebreaks if necessary |
| Anand | Measure | Carlsen |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Born | 1990 |
| 6 | Years as champion | 10 |
| 4 of 7 | Title events won | 5 of 5 |
| 20 | Head-to-head wins | 41 |
| 10 | Wins with White | 25 |
| 10 | Wins with Black | 16 |
| 2817 Mar 2011 | Peak FIDE rating | 2882 May 2014 |
| 2809 | On today's scale | 2866 |
| +2 | Lead over No. 2 at peak | +67 |
A star marks the better figure. "On today's scale" and the lead are explained on the champions page.
| Anand | Honour | Carlsen |
|---|---|---|
| 4 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 | World titles | 5 2013, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2021 |
| 2 | Candidates | 1 |
| 2 | World Cup | 1 |
| 2 | Rapid | 6 |
| 1 | Blitz | 9 |
| 3 | National | 1 |
| 1 | Junior | – |
| 6 | Oscars | 5 |
Each year links to its source. * Shared title. † Held before FIDE's official series (blitz events of 1970, 1988 and 2000; the 2000 and 2002 World Cups). World championship titles are title events won or kept. Olympiad board golds are the best score on a board. Most of these events didn't exist before the 1920s.
Move over the chart to compare both ratings on any list.
Anand wins – draws – Carlsen wins, per decade.
Against the reigning champion, Carlsen sacrificed a pawn to cramp Black's position; Anand resigned at move 30.
Start position
Arrow keys step through the moves; click any move to jump to it. Pieces by Colin M. L. Burnett (BSD licence).
| Year | White | Result | Moves | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Anand | 1-0 | 30 | Ciudad de Leon XVIII |
| 2005 | Carlsen | ½–½ | 30 | Ciudad de Leon XVIII |
| 2005 | Anand | 1-0 | 71 | Ciudad de Leon XVIII |
| 2005 | Carlsen | ½–½ | 39 | Ciudad de Leon XVIII |
| 2006 | Anand | 0-1 | 51 | Glitnir Blitz |
| 2006 | Carlsen | 1-0 | 78 | Glitnir Blitz |
| 2006 | Carlsen | ½–½ | 33 | World Blitz Championship |
| 2007 | Carlsen | ½–½ | 20 | Corus Group A |
| 2007 | Carlsen | 0-1 | 40 | Morelia-Linares |
| 2007 | Anand | 1-0 | 38 | Morelia-Linares |
| 2007 | Anand | ½–½ | 29 | 16th Amber Tournament (Blindfold) |
| 2007 | Carlsen | ½–½ | 49 | 16th Amber Tournament (Rapid) |
| 2007 | Carlsen | ½–½ | 39 | Dortmund Sparkassen |
| 2007 | Anand | 1-0 | 46 | World Blitz Championship |
| 2007 | Carlsen | 0-1 | 57 | World Blitz Championship |
Every game between them in the chessgames.com database (checked 2026-11-04): classical, rapid, blitz and exhibition games together, as the database records them.
In the 143 games between them in the chessgames.com database (2005–2026), Anand won 20, Carlsen won 41 and 82 were drawn: Carlsen leads. The count includes every recorded game, not only classical ones.
2: 2013 (Carlsen won, 6½–3½); 2014 (Carlsen won, 6½–4½).
