Peter Heine Nielsen Keynote Speaker

Peter Heine Nielsen is a Danish chess trainer and player. Awarded the title of Grandmaster in 1994, he has coached world champions Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen.

Peter won the Danish Chess Championship five times during his playing career. He played for his country in seven Chess Olympiads, winning an individual bronze medal on third board at Moscow in 1994.

In 2002, Peter Heine Nielsen began coaching Viswanathan Anand. In the following ten years, Anand won the World Championship title in Mexico in 2007, defended it in Bonn in 2008, and subsequently won two further titles in 2010 and 2012. In doing so, Anand established himself as the world’s number one chess player under Peter’s tutelage.

Subsequently, Peter began coaching world number one, Magnus Carlsen, in 2013. After winning the Candidates Tournament in 2013, Carlsen won the right to challenge Anand and he defeated him. Carlsen has since defended the title four times.

As the world’s most successful chess trainer, Peter Heine Nielsen offers unparalleled insight into the mentality of serial chess champions. Peter talks about how to develop the acute tactical mind that allows players to execute a plan and perform under pressure.

Peter has remained a key member of Magnus Carlsen’s team through multiple World Championship cycles, contributing to Carlsen’s continued dominance at the top of world chess, including successful title defences in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021. Beyond world championship play, Peter has been involved at the highest level of elite chess preparation, supporting performances in major tournaments such as the Candidates Tournament and leading international events, further cementing his reputation as one of the most influential and respected trainers in modern chess.