Magnus Carlsen is at risk of losing his No.1 spot after 15 years as Fabiano Caruana closes

Magnus Carlsen’s 15-year reign as world number one faces a serious challenge after the five-time world champion suffered a shock defeat to Armenia’s Haik Martirosyan on day three of Fast Classical at the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot.

Norwegian, which has held the top position since July 2011endured a difficult campaign in the Fast Classical section. Five draws and a defeat cost him 15.8 rating points, dropping his live rating to 2807.2.

American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana is now breathing down Carlsen’s neck. Caruana, who has been enjoying an impressive run, picked up five wins and two draws to add 17 points to his tally to move to 2800. The gap between the two players subsequently narrowed to just 7.2 points.

While the live rating fluctuates with each result, FIDE continues to release its official rating on a monthly basis.

The defeat of Martirosyan was particularly significant, with the Armenian securing his first ever victory over Carlsen in a classic FIDE-rated encounter. Playing the white pieces, Martirosyan put on an aggressive display, gradually increasing the pressure before finding a breakthrough in 41 moves.

Carlsen’s troubles began early when he found himself struggling with time pressure. With the clock running, the Norwegian was unable to find the best moves, making costly mistakes that allowed his opponent to take control. With his position deteriorating, Carlsen finally conceded defeat.

The second meeting between the two grandmasters ended in a stalemate, with neither player able to force a decisive result in the reverse fixture.

“It was a dream for me to play with him in a classic game, but to win it is even more special. I will think about this moment many times, it is very special for me.”

“It was an amazing day and I will remember this day for the rest of my life,” said Martirosyan.

Martirosyan’s win and subsequent draw took his tally to 10 points and put him alone at the top of the Group C table. Meanwhile, Carlsen dropped to fifth in the table.

Only the top four players in each group will advance to the title fight, the remaining competitors will fight for classification positions.

– The end