Check'mate': Magnus Carlsen ties the knot with girlfriend Ella Victoria Malone

The Queen is the most powerful piece in the game of Chess. Perhaps keeping this in mind, the 'King' of modern chess, Magnus Carlsen has turned 'Knight' in shining armour to woo his 'Queen'!

Carlsen, considered one of the greatest chess players of all time, tied the knot with his long-time girlfriend Ella Victoria Malone in a grand ceremony in Oslo on Saturday, January 4, 2024, according to a report by Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet. Their wedding ceremony was reportedly held at the Holmenkollen Chapel in the Norwegian capital.

Dagbladet also reported that a Netflix camera crew was present during Carlsen and Victoria Malone's wedding in Oslo. However, it is not yet confirmed whether the team was in attendance for a project or not.

The 33-year-old chess legend was first spotted with Victoria Malone last February in Germany, as per the media outlet. Carlsen had travelled there to participate in the Freestyle Chess Goat Challenge at the Weissenhaus resort in north Germany. It is at this place where the couple was photographed leaving the player's room hand in hand, sparking rumours of their relationship.

Recalling the time when the newly-weds were spotted together for the first time during an episode of the podcast Chess Talk, 26-year-old Victoria Malone said, "I think it was the first day when we got to the arena, we got out of the car, and there were a lot of cameras. I didn't know where to go, so I chose one way, and he went another. It was really weird. After that little moment, we decided to be together in public."

Shedding light on her life, Malone said, "I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Southeast Asia, mainly in Singapore. As a child, we lived in Norway for four to five years before moving back to Asia. Then I went to boarding school in the United States and did my university education in Canada. After that, I moved to Singapore again, before finally returning to Norway, where I met Magnus."