Magnus Carlsen's First GM Norm

In 2004, Magnus Carlsen of Norway became the second youngest player to earn the title of international grandmaster at 13 years, 4 months, and 27 days. The first norm was at the Corus GMC in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands in January 2004. The second norm was at the Aeroflot Open in Moscow, Russia in February and the third at the Dubai Open in April, both in 2004. The following game was important in securing first place for Carlsen in Wijk aan Zee. In this game in the next to the last round, he defeated the player who came in clear second only a half point behind. Carlsen had 9 wins, 3 draws, and 1 loss for a score of 10.5 out of 13. Sipke Ernst, a grandmaster from the Netherlands who is eleven years older than Carlsen, scored 10 points with 8 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss. Many chess fans and professional players believe that Carlsen will, at some point in his career, become world champion.