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Opening · 68 games

Magnus Carlsen in the Scandinavian Defense

68 games of Magnus Carlsen in the Scandinavian Defense, 2009 to 2025: 44 wins, 12 draws, 12 losses. Every game can be replayed move by move.

Quick answer · Updated October 2026

Does Magnus Carlsen play the Scandinavian Defense?

Yes. Magnus Carlsen has played the Scandinavian Defense in 68 games in our database (2009–2025): 44 wins, 12 draws and 12 losses, a score of 73.5%. He had it 20 times with White (13–4–3) and 48 times with Black (31–8–9).

Type of event	Games	Carlsen won	Drawn	Opponent won	Carlsen score
Classical	5	2	3	0	70.0%
Rapid	7	4	2	1	71.4%
Blitz and bullet	52	37	6	9	76.9%
Other events	4	1	1	2	37.5%
All games	68	44	12	12	73.5%

First game in our databaseMagnus Carlsen vs Vladimir Kramnik · World Blitz · 16 November 2009 · 1-0

Latest gameJose Martinez vs Magnus Carlsen · chess.com SpeedChess 2025 · 13 October 2025 · 0-1

Classical games5: 2–3–0 (won–drawn–lost)

His most played move order1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 (28 games)

Busiest year2023, with 24 games

Replay all 68 games Magnus Carlsen profile All Magnus openings Learn the Scandinavian Defense Practice it in the trainer

Source: the Rama Chess database of 7,484 Magnus Carlsen games, 2001 to 2025 (many of his games, not all of them). Opening names follow the ECO code of each game. The type of event is read from the event name.

The opening

The Scandinavian Defense: the starting moves

Scandinavian Defense chess opening position after 1.e4 d5, board diagram — The Scandinavian Defense starts with **1.e4 d5**.

In his own games the line he reached most often is **1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6** (28 games).

Best wins

Magnus Carlsen's Scandinavian Defense wins against top players

Fabiano Caruana vs Magnus Carlsen, 0-141st Olympiad Open 2014 · 8 August 2014 · Classical · 50 moves
Hikaru Nakamura vs Magnus Carlsen, 0-1Titled Tue 19th Aug Late · 19 August 2025 · Blitz and bullet · 66 moves
Jose Martinez vs Magnus Carlsen, 0-1chess.com SpeedChess 2025 · 13 October 2025 · Blitz and bullet · 37 moves
Magnus Carlsen vs Le Tuan Minh, 1-0chess.com SpeedChess 2024 · 26 July 2024 · Blitz and bullet · 23 moves
Eric Hansen vs Magnus Carlsen, 0-1Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 17 July 2023 · Blitz and bullet · 32 moves
Magnus Carlsen vs Le Tuan Minh, 1-0Bullet Chess Winners 2023 · 18 July 2023 · Blitz and bullet · 65 moves

Results by year

The Scandinavian Defense by year (2009–2025)

Carlsen wonDrawnOpponent won

Record · Updated October 2026

Magnus Carlsen's record in the Scandinavian Defense

The Rama Chess archive holds 68 games in which Magnus Carlsen played the Scandinavian Defense, from 2009 to 2025. He won 44, drew 12 and lost 12, a score of 73.5%. The games come from all time controls (classical, rapid and blitz).

He has had this opening on the board mostly with Black: 20 games as White (13 wins, 4 draws, 3 losses) and 48 games as Black (31 wins, 8 draws, 9 losses).

His most frequent opponents here are Rauf Mamedov (9), Le Tuan Minh (7), Alireza Firouzja (6). The earliest game is from 2009 (World Blitz) and the most recent from 2025 (Titled Tue 14th Jan Early). The ECO code seen most often is B01.

Replay the games Magnus Carlsen profile All his openings Learn openings

By colour

With White and with Black

Carlsen played	Games	Won	Drawn	Lost	Score
White	20	13	4	3	75%
Black	48	31	8	9	73%
All games	68	44	12	12	74%

Year by year

Scandinavian Defense games by year

Year	Games	Won	Drawn	Lost	Score
2009	1	1	0	0	100%
2010	1	0	1	0	50%
2014	2	2	0	0	100%
2015	1	0	1	0	50%
2016	2	1	1	0	75%
2017	2	0	1	1	25%
2018	2	2	0	0	100%
2019	6	4	2	0	83%
2020	9	6	1	2	72%
2021	7	2	2	3	43%
2023	24	16	3	5	73%
2024	5	4	0	1	80%
2025	6	6	0	0	100%

Opponents

Who he played most in the Scandinavian Defense

Rauf Mamedov · 9 Le Tuan Minh · 7 Alireza Firouzja · 6 Hikaru Nakamura · 4 Fabiano Caruana · 3 Parham Maghsoodloo · 2 Daniel Naroditsky · 2 Vladimir Kramnik · 1

All 68 games: Magnus Carlsen in the Scandinavian Defense

Year

Game

ECO

Result