Carlsen reached the Esports World Cup playoffs despite being, by his own admission, completely out of form. The defending champion beat Andrey Esipenko and Hans Niemann 1.5-0.5 in his group stage matches, advancing to Friday's playoff bracket for the $1.5 million event.
Three other heavyweights joined him. Hikaru Nakamura, Alireza Firouzja, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov all secured their spots in the knockout rounds, meaning the tournament's strongest players are converging at exactly the right moment.
Carlsen's claim that he was "in no shape to play chess" carries weight. He hasn't competed seriously in months, and it shows in his preparation and energy levels. Yet he still dispatched two dangerous opponents. That's the difference between the world's best player and everyone else. When Carlsen is running on fumes, he's still dangerous enough to beat top-20 talent.
The playoff structure now features the four strongest players in the field, plus whoever emerges from the remaining groups. Carlsen will need to shake off the rust quickly if he wants to repeat as champion. His early matches suggest he's getting sharper with each game, which is a dangerous trend for his opponents.