Norwegian Magnus Carlsen to Lead Qatar Masters Chess Return in October

Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen will star in the return of the Qatar Masters Chess tournament, which will be back in 2023 between October 10th and 20th, after an eight-year halt. 

The tournament, which is organized by the Qatar Chess Federation (QCF) under the auspices of the International Chess Federation (FIDE), will be played with nine rounds and one rest day.

With a $110,000 prize fund, 2023's tournament is expected to be one of the strongest open tournaments of the year as the line-up includes some of the best players in the world. 

The Qatar Masters Chess was held in 2014 for the first time and won by Chinese Grandmaster Yu Yangyi, while the next edition was held in 2015.

Carlsen, the 32-year-old brainiac, participated in the 2015 tournament in which he defeated Yu Yangyi in a playoff win.

He is the reigning five-time World Chess Champion, four-time World Rapid Chess Champion, and six-time World Blitz Chess Champion.