Magnus Carlsen, world chess No. 1, signs St Pauli contract extension for 2025-26 Bundesliga season
World chess No. 1 Magnus Carlsen will continue with Bundesliga team St Pauli for the 2025-26 season.
Carlsen joined the German team in May 2024. Nicknamed 'the Mozart of Chess', the former world champion helped St Pauli to a 12th-placed finish in the 15-team standings, cementing their top-flight status in their debut season following promotion.
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'Last season was a great success for the team,' Carlsen said. 'We proved that we can hold our own in the Bundesliga and compete with the very best. I'm looking forward to the team's continued development – and to contributing to it.'
Carlsen's arrival at St Pauli came with significant fanfare, his stature and reputation in chess attracting an oversubscription in interest for tickets and his matches were covered by the majority of German newspapers and several television channels. The Norwegian's arrival also meant each of the top-10 chess players in the world were playing in Germany.
Both St Pauli's football team and its amateur chess team won promotion to the top-flight in 2024. The club's branding as one of the most widely-recognised left-wing teams in Europe was one of the factors which attracted Carlsen, with his acquisition a significant coup in their attempt for survival.
Carlsen attended a St. Pauli match at their stadium, the Millerntor, when they were a struggling second-division team, and he cited the 'relaxed and joyful atmosphere' as a factor in persuading him to become a part of the club.
Thomas Schuttler, chairman of the FC St. Pauli chess department, said: 'Magnus Carlsen is not only an extraordinary player but also a tremendous asset to our team culture. His presence has inspired everyone involved. We're thrilled that he's staying on — together, we're writing a special chapter in German chess, in true St. Pauli style.'
Carlsen made his debut in the fifth round of the Bundesliga season, defeating Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam as St Pauli triumphed over SG Solingen, their first victory of the season. He was then held to a draw by Wei Yi in his side's narrow defeat to Dusseldorfer SK.
The 34-year-old has not played for St Pauli since, with appearances at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Weissenhaus and Paris, the TCh-NOR Elite 2024-25 and 13th Norway Chess 2025 comprising a busy schedule.
Jan Henric Buettner, founder of Freestyle Chess and sponsor of the team said Carlsen's contract extension 'reflects the strength of our shared project and our ambition to increase the popularity of chess in Germany'.
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