Norway - Sweet news from the king of chess and his queen! Magnus Carlsen (34) and his wife Ella Victoria Carlsen (26) are to become parents for the first time.

The Norwegian grandmaster revealed this on his Instagram profile on Monday evening.

Alongside three photos of his wife with a small baby bump, which the 26-year-old proudly presents, he wrote: "My beautiful pregnant wife" and added a red heart.

The chess superstar, who has led the FIDE world rankings without interruption since July 2011, usually keeps his private life out of the public eye for the most part.

He and Ella Victoria, whose real name is Malone, have reportedly been together for several years. However, they first appeared together in February 2024 at the Freestyle Chess G.O.A.T. Challenge at Weissenhaus Castle in Schleswig-Holstein.

In January of this year, they finally said "I do" in front of a dreamlike backdrop in the Holmenkollen Chapel in Oslo, and a few months later, the next step in their family planning has already been taken.

However, the couple did not want to reveal the gender of the expected offspring: "You'll get the answer in a few months," Ella replied in the comments to a follower's question.

Heartfelt congratulations have already rained down from his colleagues. Grandmaster David Howell (34) and the streaming chess sisters Alexandra (29) and Andrea (23) Botez were among those to offer their congratulations.