Bundesliga

Checkmate at St. Pauli!

Magnus Carlsen will represent St. Pauli for the second straight Chess Bundesliga season in 2025/26.
Magnus Carlsen will represent St. Pauli for the second straight Chess Bundesliga season in 2025/26.

Chess great Magnus Carlsen will again be part of St. Pauli's team in the 2025/26 Chess Bundesliga, the club have confirmed.

Carlsen, 34, joined Pauli in May 2024, before helping the Hamburg-based club to a 12th-placed finish in the 15-team standings, in what was their debut top-flight campaign.

The Norwegian made his maiden appearance in the fifth round, defeating Dutch grandmaster Max Warmerdam as Pauli beat SG Solingen for their first victory of the 2024/25 season. He was then held to a draw by Wei Yi in his team's narrow defeat to Dusseldorfer SK, but hasn't competed in the Chess Bundesliga since due to other commitments.

"Last season was a great success for the team," said Carlsen, who recently won his seventh Norway Chess title. "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."

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Thomas Schüttler, chairman of Pauli's chess department, added: "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. It's an exciting opportunity to introduce chess to a wider audience and show how much fun the game can be."

Like Pauli's chess team, football's Boys in Brown were promoted to the Bundesliga at the end of 2024, albeit sealing their return after a 13-year absence. They finished the 2024/25 season in 14th place, three points clear of the relegation zone.

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