Magnus Carlsen shrugs off viral 42 BPM heart rate at Freestyle Chess in Paris: 'That's nonsense'

Magnus Carlsen recorded a heart rate of just 42 BPM during a match at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 in Paris. It caught attention due to sharp contrast with his opponent Vincent Keymer’s 108 BPM. Carlsen has now advanced to the semi-finals alongside Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Vincent Keymer.

If ever there was doubt that Magnus Carlsen is built differently, it was put to rest during a round-robin stage match of the
Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour 2025 in Paris. The five-time world champion, known for his calm under pressure, recorded a stunningly low heart rate of just 42 beats per minute (BPM).

Carlsen’s heart rate caught attention because of the sharp contrast with Germany’s Vincent Keymer, whose heart rate spiked to 108 BPM during the same match.

All players in the Freestyle Tour are equipped with heart-rate sensors as part of a data-driven approach to monitor stress and focus levels during gameplay. The contrasting numbers between Carlsen and Keymer sparked a wave of online discussion, with fans admiring Carlsen’s composure on the board.

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