Alua Nurman poses with Carlsen before their second round match at the Grenke Freestyle Chess tournament in Karlsruhe, Germany on 3/4. Photo: screenshot

During the second round of the Grenke Open 960 chess tournament on the afternoon of 3/4, women's grandmaster Alua Nurman (standard chess Elo 2,443) played with the white pieces against Magnus Carlsen (2,840) at the first board in Karlsruhe, Germany. In a rare opportunity for a female player to compete against Carlsen, Nurman asked to take a selfie with her opponent as soon as he sat down at the board. Carlsen agreed, and the Kazakhstani player thanked him afterwards.

However, shortly after the photo was taken, the Norwegian world number one player sought out a referee and reported the incident. The referee promptly arrived and confiscated Nurman's phone, in accordance with tournament regulations. Tournament rules prohibit players from bringing electronic devices into the playing room before each game. Carlsen's report to the referee was consistent with these regulations, preventing potential issues later.

Nurman during an international competition. Photo: FIDE

Nurman, 18, has qualified for the International Master (IM) title. She was a member of the Kazakhstan team that won a silver medal at the 2024 Women's Chess Olympiad. Nurman is currently the country's second-highest ranked player, after Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Carlsen won the game against Nurman after 44 moves, maintaining a perfect record in the tournament. At last year's event, he garnered attention by winning the championship with 9 victories, despite facing top-tier opponents.

The Grenke Freestyle Chess 2026 tournament began on 2/4, attracting many of the world's top players, though a concurrent Candidates tournament somewhat overshadowed it. Carlsen will face a challenge to defend his title against competitors such as: Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Ian Nepomniachtchi, Vincent Keymer, Hans Niemann, and experienced players like Levon Aronian, Lenier Dominguez, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

The tournament features 14 players with an Elo rating over 2700, with nearly 30 players from the world's Top 100 participating. Players compete in a 9-round Swiss system, with two games daily (except on the opening day). Each game has a time control of 90 minutes, with an additional 30 seconds added per move. The total prize fund remains at 236,000 USD, with the champion receiving 69,000 USD.

The champion earns a spot in the 2027 World 960 Chess Championship. If the winner already holds a spot, the invitation passes to the next highest-ranked player. Additionally, the tournament also awards three spots for the 2027 Women's World 960 Championship, attracting players such as: Mariya Muzychuk, Alexandra Kosteniuk, and Harika Dronavalli.

Running concurrently with the 960 event is an open standard chess tournament, offering lower prize money. Players may switch to the 960 format before round five, but doing so will forfeit their overall standing and world championship qualification.

Xuan Binh