London, November 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen will headline the Super Rapid tournament at this year’s London Chess Classic (LCC), scheduled for December 5 and 6 at Novotel London West. India’s Nihal Sarin will also be part of the star-studded field.
The five-time World Champion in classical chess has won the LCC Masters title a record four times. He will compete in London as part of his preparations for the defence of his World Rapid and Blitz titles in Istanbul after Christmas.
Carlsen will face French star Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, Dutch No. 1 Anish Giri and India’s Sarin. The field will also include nine Grandmasters from the LCC Masters, led by World No. 5 Nodirbek Abdusattorov, players from the LCC Challengers and several top seeds from the LCC Swiss.
English chess sensation Bodhana Sivanandan, who recently became the youngest Woman Grandmaster in history, will also compete.
According to the organisers, the Super Rapid is an open tournament, allowing amateur players of all levels to participate and potentially face Carlsen in the early rounds. The Swiss format means he could be paired with lower-rated opponents in the opening games.
The Super Rapid will be the final competitive event of this year’s XTX Markets London Chess Classic. The tournament will begin with an opening ceremony and drawing of lots at the Tower of London, while most games will be held alongside the LCC Festival at Novotel London West in Hammersmith.
The London Chess Classic features several events, including the elite LCC Masters, an invitation-only round-robin tournament involving 10 top Grandmasters. The field includes reigning champion Abdusattorov, American Grandmaster Levon Aronian and Indian speed-chess specialist Nihal Sarin.
The LCC Challengers provides emerging players an opportunity to qualify for next year’s Masters, while the nine-round LCC Swiss is a classical tournament suitable for players seeking International Master and Grandmaster norms.
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