Magnus Carlsen to headline London Chess Classic Super Rapid in December
The open event at Novotel London West will serve as preparation for the World No. 1's title defence in Istanbul.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen will headline the Super Rapid tournament at the 2026 London Chess Classic (LCC) on December 5 and 6, according to the Times of India.
The five-time classical World Champion will use the event at Novotel London West to prepare for his defence of the World Rapid and Blitz titles in Istanbul after Christmas.
Carlsen will compete against a field including France's Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri, and India's Nihal Sarin. English chess prodigy Bodhana Sivanandan is also set to participate.
The Super Rapid is an open event, allowing amateur players of different skill levels to enter. Organisers stated on Monday that the Swiss format means Carlsen is likely to play a lower-rated opponent in the early rounds.
Other LCC events include the Masters, an invitation-only round-robin tournament featuring 10 Grandmasters such as Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Levon Aronian. The Challengers event offers emerging players a chance to qualify for next year's Masters.
The festival will begin with an opening ceremony and draw at the Tower of London, while most matches will take place in Hammersmith.