Norwegian chess player, grandmaster. In January 2010, he became the seventh player in FIDE history to rise to first position in the federation’s official ranking.

Carlsen was born in Tønsberg, Vestfold; He currently lives in Haslum, Bærum, near Oslo. Sven first competed in a chess tournament at the age of 8; he later studied at a Norwegian sports school, under the guidance of the best player in Norway at that time, Simen Agdestein. Together with Agdestein and Carlsen, Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen, currently an international master of sports, trained.

Carlsen himself left school for a year during the fight for the title of international master; in the fall of 2003, he played at an international chess tournament and received bronze at the European Championship for boys under 12 years old (European Under-12 Bo

ys Championship).

Carlsen first attracted international attention with his victory in Group C at the Wijk aan Zee chess tournament. Carlsen scored 10.5 points out of 13, losing only one match - with the holder of the highest rating in the group, Dusko Pavasovic. This victory brought Magnus his first grandmaster standard.

Carlsen achieved the grandmaster norm for the second time in February 2004, at the Moscow Aeroflot Open tournament. On March 17, at a blitz tournament in Reykjavík, Iceland, Magnus defeated former world champion Anatoly Karpov. The next day, a knockout tournament was held - here Carlsen managed to play in a draw with Garry Kasparov himself; next fight with Kasparov is law

was the defeat of Magnus.

In June 2005, Carlsen played at the next championship against Viswanathan Anand. At the Norwegian Championship, Carlsen shared 1st place with his mentor Simen Agdestein. Agdestein and Carlsen fought between 7 and 10 November. The first match was won by Agdestein, the second by Carlsen; After this, a series of quick matches began. The first such match was won by Carlsen, the second by Agdestein, the next three ended in a draw, and the sixth – and with it the entire championship – was won by Agdestein.

At the end of 2005, Carlsen took part in the World Chess Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk.

In January 2006, 15-year-old Magnus scored 2625 Elo rating points - becoming the youngest player in chess history to score more than 2600 points.

This record, by the way, was broken already in 2008 by the Filipino Wesley So.

In 2006, Carlsen almost won the Norwegian Championship; alas, he lost in the final round to Berge Østenstad and ended up tied for first place again with Agdestein. More importantly, this victory prevented Magnus from becoming Norway's youngest champion; However, this time Carlsen still beat Agdestein in the playoffs.

In May-June 2007, Magnus took part in the Candidates Tournament for the FIDE World Chess Championship; he played with Levon Aronian - and in the end lost with a score of 7-5.

In July 2007, Carlsen, who had lived for 16 years and 7 months at the time, scored 2,710 rating points

Elo, becoming the youngest chess player ever to receive more than 2700 points. As of January 2011, this record has not been broken. In December, Magnus took part in the next World Cup; He reached the semi-finals, where he was beaten by eventual winner Gata Kamsky.

In 2008, Carlsen reached more than 2800 Elo points several times. The first time this happened was at the Corus tournament - Magnus ended up sharing 1st place with Aronian, becoming the youngest chess player in the world to win a tournament of this level.

In 2009, Carlsen began training under Garry Kasparov; training began at the beginning of the year, but this was officially confirmed in the press only in September. That same year, Magnus won the Chess Oscar.

prize, awarded annually to the best player according to the results of a survey of the Russian chess magazine "64"; This survey involves leading chess critics, writers and journalists.

In 2010, Carlsen won another Corus championship; in March 2010, Magnus had a FIDE rating of 2813 - only Garry Kasparov showed a better result. In the same month, it became known that Magnus would no longer train under Kasparov. In May 2010, Carlsen himself helped Viswanathan Anand prepare for the next World Championship fight. In 2010, Magnus received another “Chess Oscar” – this time only slightly beating Anand.

In 2011, Carlsen rose to first place in the FIDE rankings several times. At the moment he continues to hold second place

Person of the Day - 11/30/2019

The future world champion was born in the small Norwegian town of Tønsberg on November 30, 1990. Magnus was born into a large family, the head of which is engineer Henrik Carlsen, a passionate chess lover, and a player with a rating of about 2100 Elo points.

Henrik always dreamed of teaching children to play chess, but his first attempt to interest five-year-old Magnus and his sisters was unsuccessful - the children did not like the game. The second time Carlsen Sr. tried to teach them was when Magnus was 8 years old. This time the children liked chess, but Magnus began to beat his sister Hellen so quickly that she quit studying.
A year after the start of classes, Magnus beat his father in blitz for the first time, and around the same time, he was hired for his first coach, master Torbjorn Ringdal Hansen. Soon he began to demonstrate amazing success, and since then the whole life of the young Norwegian has been connected with chess. The young man's sponsor was Microsoft, and from Hansen he fell into the hands of the leader of Norway, Simen Agdestein.

On April 26, 2004, at the age of 13, he became a grandmaster, and one of the norms was fulfilled at the Aeroflot Open, one of the most difficult tournaments in the world. Around the same time, Garry Kasparov became interested in the young man, who would later become his teacher: he would conduct several training sessions, pass on his experience and bring his ward to a rating mark of 2826 - the second in chess history. After a year of training, Carlsen and Kasparov will stop collaborating; Carlsen's results will decrease, but only slightly.

In 2006, Carlsen became the champion of Norway, and in 2007 he won his first major international tournament in Biel. After this, the Norwegian’s successes began to increase: one can recall victories at tournaments in Foros, Wijk aan Zee, Linares, Moscow, Nanjing, London, Medias. The young grandmaster quickly taught his many fans that any place other than first was already a failure for him.

In 2010, Carlsen won the chess Oscar for the first time, and since then, journalists writing on chess topics have awarded him this honorary trophy every year. In 2012, the Norwegian won the Tal Memorial, the Grand Slam final and the super tournament in London, and in January 2013 he won in Wijk aan Zee. He broke Garry Kasparov's Elo record (2851), which stood for 13 years. Magnus Carlsen's maximum rating reached a fantastic 2882 (May 2014).

At the Candidates Tournament in London in March 2013, Magnus Carlsen in a dramatic fight beat Vladimir Kramnik and won the right to fight world champion Vishy Anand. In the match for the crown, held in Chennai (India), Magnus Carlsen won a convincing victory (out of 12 games only 10 had to be played) and became the new world champion.

His army of fans in the West continues to grow. Not only the chess media write about him, but also the largest newspapers and magazines in the world. For a chess player, he is incredibly popular; the young star has a large advertising contract with a company that produces youth clothing, as well as with other large companies.

2014 brought Magnus Carlsen new victories - at super tournaments in Zurich (Switzerland) and Shamkir (Azerbaijan), as well as two championship titles in Dubai (UAE). Magnus Carlsen became the first “triple world champion” in history - in classical chess, in rapid and in blitz.

In November 2014, Magnus Carlsen won the second match against Vishy Anand with a score of 6.5:4.5 (+3 -1 =7) and defended his title of world champion in classical chess.

In 2015, the world champion won in Wijk aan Zee, Baden-Baden and at the Vugar Gashimov Memorial in Shamkir, but then shocked the fans at the start of the Grand Chess Tour series - in Stavanger Magnus scored an unprecedented 3.5 points out of 9. At the second stage In the battles of the best chess players in the world in St. Louis, the Norwegian performed better, but in the end he shared 2-5 place with a modest “+1”. Finally, at the World Rapid Championship in Berlin, Carlsen showed his mighty strength and won the minor crown with a one-point lead over his pursuers, but finished in fourth position in the blitz. Video clips showing the current absolute champion very nervous and gesticulating, anticipating the loss of the blitz crown, have gained enormous popularity on the Internet.

At the 2015 European Team Championship, the Norwegian leader lost a piece to the Swiss grandmaster Yannick Pelletier, lost to Levon Aronian, made several insignificant draws, and only after great effort reached the final “fifty dollars”. His current rating dropped to 2834, however, speaking to the media, Magnus Carlsen promised to return to the previous level before the upcoming battle with the winner of the Candidates Tournament.

Indeed, at the end of 2015, Carlsen won in London and Doha, in 2016 - in Wijk aan Zee, Stavanger, Leuven (Grand Chess Tour) and Bilbao - in the last of the tournaments he defeated challenger Sergey Karjakin with white. However, at the match in New York, the Russian grandmaster put up stubborn resistance to the champion: “main time” (12 games with classical control) ended in a draw 6:6, and only in a tiebreaker (which took place exactly on his 26th birthday) Magnus Carlsen defended his title.

2017 was not the most impressive year in Carlsen’s career: at tournaments in Holland, Germany and the USA he finished second, and at home in Norway he generally took 9th place out of 10. In September, Magnus took part in the World Cup in Tbilisi (for the first time in history, an active The world champion entered the start of this competition!), but lost to Bu Xiangzhi in the third round. Statisticians calculated that Carlsen had gone 435 days without finishing first in a classical time control tournament; however, on October 1, 2017, he broke this streak by convincingly winning a very strong Isle of Man Open. Magnus Carlsen scored 7.5 points out of 9 (+6=3), half a point ahead of H. Nakamura and V. Anand and showed a performance rating of 2903.

In January 2018, Carlsen won the super tournament in Wijk aan Zee for the 6th time - after winning a tiebreaker over Anish Giri. He celebrated his sole victory in Shamkir, and in St. Louis he shared 1-3 places with Fabiano Caruana and Levon Aronian. In November in London, Magnus once again defended his world title: in a match against Fabiano Caruana, all 12 games with classical control ended in a draw, and the champion won the tiebreaker 3:0. At the very end of the same year he won the World Blitz Championship.

2019 is going very well for Carlsen: he won super tournaments with classical control in Wijk aan Zee, Shamkir, Zagreb, as well as GRENKE Chess Classic and Norway Chess, and won victories in a number of rapid chess and blitz tournaments. On November 8, 2019, Magnus Carlsen officially resigned from the Norwegian Chess Federation, but what the consequences of this decision will be is still unclear.

I haven't seen Carlsen live for a long time. I would even say a very long time ago - five years, no less. Since I interviewed him in Dortmund, and then also in Khanty - after his first great adult successes. He was still just a boy then - awkward and shy, slowly choosing answers and glancing at his father. But even then it was noticeable that he felt his strength, understood: if he only added a little - and he had a lot of reserve - and he would take the lead...

Perhaps, with regard to Carlsen, time even sped up a little. Less than a few years later, without showing the chess world something fundamentally new and without becoming, like Karpov or Kasparov in their time, a trendsetter, he nevertheless bypassed the entire world elite... But the most interesting thing was something else - everyone noted its powerful practical strength, but no one could determine what it consisted of?

Even if you want to, it’s not so easy to lay a foundation for the Norwegian’s game or break it down into components. After all, you can’t call him a brilliant tactician or, say, a deep strategist - he is both! So if you look at a dozen of Magnus’ games “without a signature”, you won’t necessarily establish that it was him who played. Well, Korchnoi, unable to understand the phenomenon of the Norwegian, even declared him a hypnotist! Well, it can’t be that people made mistakes so often in games with him...

I was wondering how “Magnus who lives on the roof” has changed, how he is given world domination, what are the plans of a man who publicly refused to participate in the World Cup and the World Championship cycle, considering that the conditions in it were not suitable for him as a professional satisfied. A strong decision of a man who is aware of his strength, who believes that if he wants, he will win everything that he is destined to win in life!

Carlsen has changed... He has stretched out, gotten stronger, but remains, however, the same “thing in himself”. I began to smile and speak much less in public. When he showed his games to the audience, he used literally two or three phrases of the same type. And in general, it seemed to me that as soon as he entered the “field of attraction” of chess, it was as if some invisible shell was closing around him, which allowed him, almost alone, to cope with all the Big Overloads.

I involuntarily remembered the “image of Fischer” - he, too, always felt himself “alone against the whole world.” And therefore, during chess competitions, he became gloomy and irritable, but as soon as he relieved himself of the tension, he appeared completely different - a sociable and cheerful person. Carlsen is the same: during and after the tournament he is two different people. I felt this in the few 15 minutes that we walked with him and his father after the closing of the Tal Memorial - from the Pashkov House to the Ritz.

You won’t believe it, but even his gait changes, his forehead smooths out, and his childishness and smile return to him. And frankness. Frankly, before this interview I was afraid that nothing meaningful would come of it - Magnus would give standard and short answers and would not engage in the conversation... We talked for almost an hour! Moreover, Carlsen struck me with his unexpected frankness and precision of formulation. He lounged on the sofa so that it was convenient to “conduct” with his hands when he searched for the right word. And he smiled a lot, without showing any fatigue or impatience.

I was amazed and, while saying goodbye, I even expressed my respect to Henrik Carlsen. Well, when I started listening to the recording, I was even more amazed. How much is hidden under this imaginary Norwegian inaccessibility of the strongest chess player in the world...

THE MORE COMPLEX, THE MORE INTERESTING

To begin with, since we are talking right after the end of the Tal Memorial, what could you say about your game and your result in this tournament?

Well, of course, I'm happy with the result - first place is always first place. To a certain extent, I am satisfied with my game, especially with what I showed in the first half of the tournament... Yes, I made mistakes, and my opponents also made mistakes, but the games were interesting enough to remember them with pleasure later.

As for the second half, I have nothing to say. I would just like to forget about half the games. Starting with the game with Svidler, where I had to look in horror for ways to a draw. I have nothing to praise myself for in the game against Nepomniachtchi. Only a game with Nakamura can wash away the shame of a slurred performance at the finish.

What can you say about the tournament in general? Did you like the fight - is this what a record-breaking (in terms of ratings) tournament should be like?

I didn't think about what it should be like. People fought in every round, there were a lot of interesting games. Well, what about the fact that there are a lot of draws? This is how players simply gathered together and achieved great skill in defending difficult positions. Thus, in most of the games, one of the parties had a serious chance of winning, and as a result, more than 3/4 of all games ended in a draw. It's OK.

Do you like to play against top level players or do you prefer to play in tournaments with mixed squads like in Wijk aan Zee or London?

For me, the Tal Memorial was the most interesting tournament this year! I have no doubts here. There was not a single “passable” game here.

- Is it nice to feel the tension, to play at the limit?

Yes, the more complex, the more interesting! Every time is a test...

Can you formulate what chess means to you now? What do they mean in your life and how important a part are they?

I am a professional chess player, and if so, I must do everything in my power to realize my potential. I like to win, I strive for maximum results... At the same time, I still manage to have a lot of fun from the game! I can say that during the game I stop thinking about the result of the game, I am so captivated by what is happening on the board...

In relation to this tournament, I can remember two games - against Gelfand and Kramnik. I just enjoyed it when we got such non-standard positions! If every game I made was as interesting as these, then I would be simply happy. But chess, alas, consists of more than just creativity.

Would your attitude towards these games change if they ended not so favorable for you in terms of results?

The result, of course, is always important, but I'm talking about the pleasure of the game.

Are you just talking about the abstract pleasure of the game or the ability to turn the course of the game in the direction you want?

First of all, I like solving non-standard problems at the board. Maybe that’s why I don’t really like to do openings - it all starts from one position.

We must assume that you especially like playing with “creative” players like Aronian or Ivanchuk. Or is it, by and large, all the same?

The creative style of the opponents is, of course, important, but I don’t divide opponents into types. An interesting position can arise in a game against anyone.

Don’t you really “adapt” to your opponents, don’t you try to choose a different line of behavior against players of different types?

Hardly ever. That is, of course, I watch their games, I see in which positions they feel more confident, in which they “float”, but this does not become a decisive factor when choosing an option for the game. Only in very rare cases.

- Don't you mean to say that you don't care in what manner of playing?

Almost yes. The main thing is to make it interesting!

And, for example, when in this tournament he gave Kramnik the opportunity to put pressure on the entire front - what he loves most - did you not try to catch him in a trap, when it is necessary to move from general reasoning to specific actions?

Honestly, I didn’t think that deeply. When playing Black against Kramnik, you need to understand that it won’t be so easy to equalize in the opening, and therefore it doesn’t matter which line you play against him. It is much more important to prepare yourself for the fight.

- Do you have problems with this?

They happen to everyone. Sometimes you feel bad or just don’t feel like it...

- How do you act at such moments?

I go and play a game. As I already said, chess is my profession. I have to do what I have to do. And he must do it well, without losing concentration.

BE ABLE TO JOY

Can you imagine yourself as a person who will devote his whole life to this... like Ivanchuk, Anand or Kramnik? Or have you already set some boundaries for yourself?

I don't know. Not ready to say “yes” or “no” with certainty. I really like chess now and will play it as long as I feel motivated. And how it will go later, when she weakens - if she weakens - I still don’t know.

This is the main problem for many strong players who are approaching 40. On the one hand, they realize that they are able to play quite well, but on the other, they find it increasingly difficult to force themselves to work as hard as they used to. And play.

A very subtle point. I'm not sure about myself yet... Let's wait a couple of years.

- What is your main motivator at the moment?

Well, everything is simple here - just play chess. Show everything you can do. I don't set any special goals for myself in chess. From time to time I think about these topics... No, really, I can’t think of something like that! I could say that I want to win every game - but I just don’t think about it.

I don’t agree with those who think that the lack of a global goal is bad... I play, I have fun, I want to achieve the maximum. Isn't it enough?

At the age of 21, you confidently top the list of the world's leading chess players, but at the same time you say that you have no goals. In fact - none?

No! Of course, I think that someday I might become the world chess champion, but if this doesn’t happen, I won’t worry about it...

- This smacks of fatalism!

Perhaps... But for me this is the easiest way to maintain my current state, my attitude towards chess, which I really like.

How can one not remember Kasparov, who from the age of 13 was prepared for the fact that someday he would definitely become a world champion, they infected him with this idea!

What can I say... everyone has their own path. Thoughts about being a world champion do not interfere with my life. If I become a champion someday, fine, if I don’t, so be it. I don't want any obsessions to ruin my life.

You have said several times that you like to play chess. Could you compare today's perception with that when you first learned to play?

I probably loved chess a little more at that time than I do now. But I try to keep my perceptions fresh and never force myself into them.

At the first moment, the fascination of the game is strong, you will learn a lot of new things. But I can say that now it is replaced by the excitement of fighting, the satisfaction of winning tournaments, constantly improving, becoming stronger...

- Do you consider this feeling fundamentally important for an elite player?

Certainly! If you do something without pleasure, then you are unlikely to be able to achieve maximum results... I think it is important to maintain this feeling within yourself, to be able to rejoice and enjoy what you do. How else!

- How long ago did you make the choice to become a chess professional?

Not that long ago actually. A few years ago. I was finishing my studies at school then and realized that, by and large, I was not interested in anything except chess... And at that moment I decided that in the near future it would be my profession.

- So it was not an a priori choice?

I wouldn’t say that everything that happened before was not serious. But I didn't really look that far ahead. I was interested in doing this, but I didn’t divide: here is chess, here is everything else.

For many parents in Russia, their children’s early sports success is a good reason to think about a professional career. Isn't that right for you?

And many of us play chess simply for general development. They are believed to be useful. I have many friends who play chess just for fun. And I also started playing chess quite by accident. And he was not a child prodigy.

That is, if immediately after finishing school you told your father that you wanted to finish chess, he would not object to you?

It's better to ask him about this. But I think he definitely wouldn’t have forced me... But I didn’t even have any thoughts of “giving up” - I liked what I was doing.

- Does your life, your future now depend on chess?

It depends on what you mean by this. I think no.

- How much time do you devote to them?

It's hard for me to count. When I'm at a tournament, chess takes up all my time. At this moment I am one hundred percent focused on the game. So, my TV and phone are turned off, I’m not available to anyone... When am I home? If I don’t have a training camp and don’t have to go to some tournament, I don’t play chess at all.

- Don’t work out at all?

Absolutely!

- And you don’t maintain your “sports shape” in any way?

Well, if I want, I can watch something that interests me. Or download fresh games... I don’t know, nothing specific. It is difficult to talk about any purposeful activities. It may seem strange, but I get a lot of benefit from just watching games. I don’t analyze, I don’t turn on modules, I just scroll through them one by one, looking at new ideas, who plays how...

Well, everyone has their own approach. Nobody knows how someone else spends their free time - Anand, Kramnik, Aronian...

- Free time - yes, but we more or less know how they do it.

I also have fees. But rarely. And I have a habit of remote work, which I did when I was little and didn’t have a coach.

- Norwegian specifics?

Partly. I guess I don't fit into the usual patterns a little.

ALONE AND WITHOUT A CAR

- Do you think you have a specific chess talent?

I don't know. Everyone has a lot of different talents. I probably have something like that too, but I can’t be 100% sure. Do you yourself know what this is?

I can only judge by what others have said about me. When I was 12-13 years old, many people said that I had great chess talent, that I could become a great chess player. At that moment, I basically didn’t care whether I became a strong chess player or not - I just played and was happy about it...

In fact, it is very difficult to determine who is more gifted and who is less. And who will turn out to be a truly great chess player, and who will remain a nobody.

But I still remember the scene with Alexander Nikitin, Kasparov’s coach, who at one of the first Aeroflots stood next to your table and witnessed how you defeated Dolmatov in 20 moves. He then walked around the hall with the form of that party and with a breath told everyone: “This is the party of a genius”...

Yes, I remember, I was 13 years old then (laughs). I want to thank Nikitin, he gave me good advertising then. He is an authoritative person, and I heard about it even when I returned home. Yes, yes, and he also predicted a great future for me.

- And you really weren’t confused or confused by all this talk about genius?

I want to say again: I never considered myself a chess genius, and I never concentrated on other people’s scores. And I treat them calmly now... Many people tell me that I am too sober a person. And even then I thought what was the point of all this excessive enthusiasm - you just need to do what you do well.

- How much slower do you think your chess development would have been if you didn’t have a computer at hand?

Don't know. Never thought about it. I think (thinks), that for me personally, the computer did not have any fundamental influence on my game.

I can’t believe it... What sets you apart is that you are ready to play any position “from the sheets”, ready to defend positions where “ugly” machine moves are needed...

But it is so. I can say that in the first years I did not use the help of a machine at all, even as a database! Then I simply put the board in front of me, took the books that I was studying with and looked at everything on it. And the first time I needed a computer for chess was when I started playing on the Internet.

Honestly, when I was 11-12 years old, I didn’t even know what ChessBase was. I understand that coming from me this sounds rather implausible - and most people consider me a product of the era of “computer chess” - but this is actually true! I will say more, even my first coaches were surprised at my computer “illiteracy” in chess. I had nowhere to show them the databases, my analyzes...

Do you still have any children’s notebooks with tests that could “document this”? Are there any “living witnesses”?

Of course, people have not gone away - you can even ask my father. I'm not sure about any recordings. I didn't keep any special records.

- So, your understanding of chess, sense of position, is all human?

I think yes. And my fundamental understanding of chess was formed without the participation of a machine. This was my view of chess, my idea of ​​wrestling.

Do you think it helps you that you have acquired the habit of analyzing at the board and not at the computer? Some, for example, Kramnik or Anand, often say during analysis: “We need to see what the machine says here...”

I didn't think about it... I have a good memory, and usually I remember what I was looking at at the board. Yes, sometimes I'm interested to see what the machine thinks about the position, but it never bothers me, I'm not in a rush to put everything on the computer right away.

- Do you trust computer estimates?

It all depends on the position. There are situations where a computer is of no use.

- Could you rely entirely on a computer assessment?

When time is short, sometimes you have to trust his conclusions. But I try to see everything myself; you can’t trust the car 100%.

CHESS BAGGAGE

We “found out” that you are not a child of the computer age, but then, forgive me, the question is: where did you even come from in Norway, where there were no chess traditions?

I get asked this question all the time, but I don’t have an answer... Yes, we have never had strong chess players in Norway, we haven’t had continuity like you have. As a result, there was no training program for chess players.

- Just an accident?

I think, yes.

- Do you remember your first coach?

Yes. He watched several of my games, we talked to him... And he gave me a couple of books: Shereshevsky on endings and several textbooks by Dvoretsky. At first, this was all my chess luggage!

- That is, you won’t be able to name someone who would “set” the game for you?

This happened much later. But I studied everything he gave me very carefully. I absorbed the “Soviet chess school”.

- Did you feel that your game changed after studying these books?

Yes. I began to navigate the board better and evaluate better.

What about classic chess works like Nimzowitsch, Capablanca or Lasker? Khalifman once, speaking about the tournament in Wijk aan Zee, said that there were 13 chess players with a “school” and one who did not have it...

I really never got to the “classics”.

- Do you regret it?

It's hard for me to judge. Maybe someday...

Judging by the books you got from endgame specialists, you must have loved this stage of the game, although children usually like to attack!

I can’t say that I like tactics more than strategy or vice versa. It happened differently in different periods...

As a child, I liked strategy more - all these long plans and pawn chains, maneuvering... Then, when I started playing regularly in tournaments, a lot of small tactics appeared in my game. Well, when I found myself in super tournaments in 2006-2007, I had to thoroughly reconsider my view of chess. (Smiles.) I needed to make the game more edgy and tactical. And then try to improve the assessment of positions.

- So you can’t call yourself a tactician or strategist?

I would call myself an optimist! In fact, I don't have any strong preferences in chess. I do what circumstances require of me - attack, defend or go to the endgame. To have preferences is to have weaknesses.

Could you compare your feelings after winning a thin endgame or some kind of hurricane attack? Will they really be exactly the same for you?!

I really don't know what I like more about chess! Among others, a game can be distinguished by the feelings you experience after its completion. When you realize that you have created something truly worthwhile... But this happens very, very rarely. In any case, with me in my entire life - only a few times.

- Well, if you are just a spectator, which game do you like best?

Don't know. I'm interested in wrestling as such.

- Do you have a favorite chess player?

No. Is it true! It is very useful to study the games of great players. And not only world champions, but also those who came close to this title.

- Isn’t there at least a group of players whose game you like?

There are many of them, but there is no one favorite. I've watched many thousands of their games, and everyone has something to learn - probably because of this I don't want to single out any one. Maybe later?

- Have you experienced the influence of one or another chess player on your game?

Constantly. No - not directly, not in a way that I would like to be like someone. I just saw that different players can do different things well.

- Do you think that some boys are already learning from your games?

It never occurred to me. Maybe.

GIVE IT MORE LOAD

- Viktor Korchnoi recently put you on a par with Fischer and Tal...

Yep, he called me a “hypnotist”!

- Was it flattering for you to be on the same level as the world champions?

I'd rather be there for something else.

- How did you react to his assumption that you influence your rivals?

I don’t think that there is so much otherworldly in my victories. I don't have to use hypnosis to win on the chessboard!

But, you must admit, it was not surprising to assume something like that, considering the frequency with which your opponents make mistakes?

Give your opponents a lot of work during the game - and they will make mistakes... I am not able to estimate how much more often they make mistakes when playing with me.

- Much more often!

I don’t know, I fight in every game until the end, I give it my all. I don’t want to feel after the game that I did less than I could... Probably, this attitude affects my opponents. Mistakes are a consequence of tension!

- Do you strive to create tension on the board in each of your games?

I'm trying! I can’t say that this is successful in every game. Take, for example, the game against Anand from this tournament: I simply could not create any tension in it. But in everything else I tried my best...

- Don’t you think that chess has turned from an art into a fight?

Was it any different before? Take any serious confrontation - the players threw aside abstract considerations and fought very hard.

They also turned into a competition for opening bases! So, Grischuk recently said that now chess is 80% work on the opening...

That's pretty much how it is.

But... when I look at your games, I get the opposite feeling! Take the same Tal Memorial, where in the first four rounds of the opening you stood at 0 out of 4, but should have scored 3.5 out of 4. You constantly outplay your opponents...

Probably because I like the middlegame and endgame much more than the opening. I like it when a game turns into a competition of thoughts rather than a battle of home tests. But this, unfortunately, does not happen often.

- Does this upset you?

To some extent, but what can I do!

- More to do with the debut, like the others...

I already do this more than I want to.

- But at the same time, as I understand it, in general you are inferior to them?

Yes. It’s no secret that I’m inferior in the quality of opening preparation to Anand, Kramnik, and many others. They have much more experience and groundwork... They are great specialists in this! But I try to place my pieces correctly on the board so that this advantage is not so large that I don’t lose right away.

There was never an idea to create your own team, like Kramnik or Anand, so that people would prepare an opening for you, and you would sit at the board...

I have never had a team that, say, would give me a debut.

- But you wouldn't refuse to have it?

I think about it from time to time, but... I have long been accustomed to trusting my decisions - both on and off the board. Should you suddenly change your habits?

- What needs to happen for you to change your mind?

I don’t know, maybe if I happen to play a world championship match, I’ll simply be forced to assemble a team. And I think it won't be so bad...

- Are there any chess players with whom you like to analyze?

I have never collaborated with active chess players, with those with whom I have to compete in tournaments. We spent a lot of time with Peter-Heine Nielsen when I was younger, he gave me a lot of practice. Who knows, maybe I'll like it. But it’s difficult for me to name specific names now.

FOR THE HIGHEST TITLE

I am interested in one idea, perhaps it will seem strange to you. But would you continue to play chess if you had another activity that in the long term would bring in significantly more money than chess?

This sounds too hypothetical! Why such an unexpected question?

Well, after you refused to participate in FIDE competitions - first in the Grand Prix and World Cup tournaments, and then in the World Championship, Henrik said that you would be quite happy with participation in commercial competitions.

What's unusual here? Chess is my main income. I can't say that money means a lot to me. First of all, because when I first started playing chess, there was nothing but pleasure and interest in the game itself.

I have never really thought about this question. Who knows, maybe it will turn out that I can make a lot more money in some other area. But I don’t know this, because I haven’t tried myself in other areas yet... When I get tired of playing chess, I feel like I’ve reached my ceiling - then we’ll see.

It's great to feel freedom of choice, to be the master of your destiny. Decide when to do what. This is exactly the situation I’m in right now, but I’m not planning on leaving chess anywhere just yet. I have a lot of unfulfilled ambitions.

Yes that's right. But let me remind you of Korchnoi, who, having lost a match to Karpov in Merano in 1981, said that he no longer wanted to play a world championship match, and therefore began to consider himself a chess amateur from that moment on.

- And you yourself, for no apparent reason, refused to fight for the title of champion!

I wouldn't say there are no reasons...

- But personally, I still don’t understand the real reasons why this happened?

At my core, I was not motivated to fight for such a title... I was not happy with a lot of things that FIDE proposed, including the very format of the candidates' matches. I don't want to expand on this topic. At one time, a lot was said about this, but the content of the matches in Kazan only confirmed my point of view. They were unlikely to please both the audience and the participants themselves.

- What, in your opinion, should the Candidates Tournament be like?

I think a two-round tournament, in which all contenders for the title would compete, would be a better alternative to short-lived matches. It would become an event. In it, everyone would have approximately equal chances, nothing would depend on blitz games...

- So you may well take part in the next “cycle”?

Yes, why not! Give me good conditions and I will play.

- No politics?

Absolutely.

Is it the same with the FIDE Grand Prix tournaments?

It's a little different, but overall, yes. I never shy away from competition, but I don’t want to be “for” or “against” anyone. I'm just playing chess.

- Phew, that’s relieved: I thought that you had completely given up on fighting for the title.

I made no secret of the fact that my decision was related to the unsatisfactory format of the competition. I didn't say that I don't want to be a world champion.

- Wait, but at the very beginning of our interview you said that you don’t have any global goal in chess!

There is no global goal. Is the world title a global goal?

- For some, it becomes a fixed idea throughout their entire life!

Well, it seems to me that every person has his own idea of ​​what the main goal in chess is. For me personally, it definitely wasn’t just about winning the title someday... Maybe this will seem very strange to some, but for me that’s exactly what it is. Well, if I don’t become a champion, so what?

- Fischer, Karpov, Kasparov would listen to you...

For the previous generation of chess players, the title of “world champion” meant much more than it does for me now. But what can you do?

- You didn’t discuss this issue with Kasparov when you were still studying?

No. It was my decision. He didn't try to convince me.

“WALKING WITH KASPAROV”

- What are your impressions of your work? Is this not a taboo topic?!

No, no, no problem. We started collaborating in 2009 and worked quite closely for more than a year. We had both live meetings and constant conversations on Skype. We analyzed a lot together, played, exchanged opinions...

- What was the main benefit for you from creative communication with him?

Thanks to him, I began to better understand a whole class of positions. It is clear that he knew much more than me... At times it was difficult for me to keep up with his speed and depth of analysis, but more often than not we were on the same wavelength. What can I say: it was a unique experience for me; Kasparov gave me a lot as a practitioner.

- Was he surprised by your level of opening preparation?

Yes, he was amazed at how little I turned out to know... But we didn’t dwell on this issue. He shared with me his methods of working on the debut, for which I am grateful. I moved in this direction thanks to him.

- What else did Kasparov share with you?

He told me a lot about the peculiarities of wrestling, a lot about individual elite players. He has a very unique view of the world's strongest players.

- Were you struck by the energy that he retained at 46 years old?

Yes, he is a very “energetic” person! He seems to be simply sharing his opinion with you, but in reality he is dictating how you should act...

- How different was your view of the positions you were looking at?

The difference is big... Kasparov is a researcher, and he looks at every position as a theorem that he must prove. And I am more pragmatic - I am looking for how best to use the capabilities of the parties. He tries to bring everything to the final assessment - “plus-minus” or “minus-plus”, but I’m not so picky, for me the main thing is to find the path that is worth following. From some of his comments, I realized that my approach was largely associated with the way Karpov made decisions. He knew him like no one else - I won’t say that such an assessment was unpleasant to me...

-Have you often fought with Kasparov?

At the board? Yes, we played a lot of blitz games! It was a meaningful struggle, at times it was difficult for him - it was felt that he had no practice.

- Based on these games, could you imagine how strong Kasparov was in his youth?

He's a fantastic player. I haven’t seen anyone feel the dynamics in difficult positions like that. And this is in the fifth decade! Of course, it would be very interesting to play with the then Kasparov, but, as we know, time cannot be returned... I think it would be a great challenge. They say that Karpov was magnificent in his youth.

You say this now with such delight that it’s hard to believe that you never had a chess idol...

I'm talking now about the pleasure of chess communication with a great player. I didn’t say that I wanted or want to be like him. Everyone has his own path.

- Okay, but if the ideal Carlsen and the ideal Kasparov sat down to play...

I don't know how it would have ended - we are too different players. But I think it would be interesting. The clash of players of different styles is always interesting.

- What do you think when someone starts comparing you and the greats?

In fact, this has been happening constantly for several years now, and I don't pay any attention to it. I think all this is quite superficial... Because everyone has their own opinion, but how many people there are, so many opinions.

- Do you regret that your collaboration with Harry eventually ended?

I don’t know, everything has its time... We parted with Kasparov quite amicably, without offense. I think he gave me a lot of useful knowledge. I think he was interested in me too. What would have happened next if we had continued to work, I don’t know.

No one can say what would have happened now if we had continued to cooperate with him. From the perspective of today, I think that our separation was the right step.

- In a sense, did you get everything you wanted from Kasparov?

Through his coaches and acquaintances, it became clear: Harry was disappointed that the cooperation had stopped, that you had abandoned “sacred knowledge”...

It's hard for me to judge. I may have disappointed him, but that was my choice.

- And life goes on?

Yes, that's right! It seems to me that you shouldn’t reduce your life to one or two elections. I took a wrong turn - that's all. This doesn’t happen... I don’t believe in “fatal mistakes.” And even if I made some mistakes, these are my mistakes, and I will be responsible for them.

- How much did you want to change in your life?

Something is possible, but I wouldn't do it.

-Are you a fatalist?

No, I just wouldn't. And I'm still too young to start correcting mistakes. I just live, play chess. I try to have fun...

- And let others give the grades?

Yes, if they like it!

FAMILY VALUES

A question that is interesting to many: from the outside you look so... a little unsociable. Do you have many friends or do you prefer solitude?

I don’t presume to judge whether there are many of them. Of course, I have friends back home in Norway. It is clear that chess is a solitary sport, and I do not feel disadvantaged when I am alone for a long time. I feel good this way and that way. I'm not suffering...

- Are there any special topics of conversation when you meet with them?

We're talking... Hmm, I don't even know, ordinary conversations, like everyone else. But here you need to understand that most of my friends at home were in one way or another connected with chess. But I must say that we chat not only about chess topics.

- Do you have any common hobbies or common activities?

Yes, like everyone else! For example, we love football. This game gives us quite emotional discussions. Considering that my best friend is a real fan of Real Madrid, our company constantly has debates around Real and Barça. Transfer policy and Mourinho's playing methods, Ronaldo's goals and eccentricities - all this is discussed as often as Nimzowitsch's current defensive lines...

- In the confrontation between Real and Barcelona, ​​whose side do you sympathize with?

Of course, I'm for Real Madrid! (Here Magnus and I exchanged winks, and he appreciated my “creamy” cap from the official Real Madrid store.)

What about sports? All Scandinavians are obsessed with their health. What do you prefer: running, skiing, swimming, maybe something else?

I don’t have one specific interest; I like a lot. I like to play football with friends, in winter - skiing... I also like tennis and squash, as well as basketball.

- You don’t seem to be that long!

Yes, I'm not very good, but I like this game. A lot of fighting, martial arts, but a lot of fun. True, this year I tried to play basketball against your guys, and I didn’t really like it. They play much stronger!

- What about other entertainment? Books, movies, games...

I can't say that I'm fixated on anything. Everything happens at will... If I want, I can go to the movies or easily end up at home on the couch with a book. I can’t call myself an avid reader - in any case, not a single book has ever captivated me so much that I forgot about everything in the world until I finished reading it.

-Are you not into collecting, like Karpov, for example?

No, no, this is not mine... I can’t imagine that something could interest me so much. A lot of people like it, but I just can't understand it...

- Do you have any extreme hobbies?

Not yet. But... anything is possible!

You said that you don’t have any clear goals in chess, but do you have any in everyday life? And do you put them before yourself?

Which for example?

- I don’t know: let’s say, graduate from university, travel around the world, excavate Troy!

Of course, from time to time I think about such things, but so far I can’t say that I have found any clearly defined goals for myself... In many ways, it depends on how much time I will play chess. And How!

Aren't you afraid that you might deprive yourself in life if your chess career takes up more time from you than you are willing to devote to it?

It's a difficult question. As I already said, I have never worked out by force, and if I realize that it no longer gives me the same pleasure, I can always stop. Chess is moving me forward so far, and I like it.

- How does your family feel about the fact that you are now the first chess player in the world?

They like it! They support me in every possible way. They rejoice, congratulate...

- How important is their opinion to you?

I always listen to them, their advice is very competent. Sometimes we don’t agree on something, but this has never been a reason for quarrels.

- How important is your family to you?

Like any normal person... We have a big family - mom, dad, me, two sisters. And I enjoy spending time with them. It's great when you have some kind of closed circle to which no one has access... There are people for whom everything is turned outward, everything is on display. I'm not one of those people.

- You continue to go to all tournaments with your father...

Yes, I like it. It's always nice when a loved one is nearby. He takes care of me and supports me in difficult moments.

When you were little, this, of course, was not discussed. But when you grew up, whose idea was it for Henrik to continue to travel with you to tournaments?

To be honest, we never even discussed this topic with him. I have long been accustomed to having him nearby... I need this! When I was little, he often took part in tournaments himself. Then he stopped. He had a lot more worries. Every time he solves all household and other issues. Dad cooks for us, gets me ready for the party (for each batch, Magnus brings with him a whole food set - it contains fortified juices and Activia kefir, which his father flavors with honey and fresh fruit - E.A.), accompanies me to the hall, waits after the game. In his presence I always feel much more comfortable and calmer...

- How do you feel about the fact that many compare him with Kasparov’s mother?

I don't care... We never even discussed this with him.

- But do you understand that someday you will go to the tournament alone?

There is nothing special about this, there is no need to build any theories from this. From time to time I already travel alone... But, I repeat, there is no ritual here. I’m just pleased when he’s around: there’s always someone to talk to, discuss something... From time to time I went to tournaments with my friends - we have a good company.

HEAVY BURDEN OF FAME

- Doesn’t your father also serve as your manager?

No, my manager is Espen Agdestein, although the signature on all contracts is mine. We have complete mutual understanding; dad does not interfere in these matters.

- Is he involved in your non-chess affairs, “promotion”?

No. We do nothing at all in this regard. I have a friend who acts as my “impresario” - he answers questions and arranges for my participation, for example, in television programs or interviews for newspapers.

These are my regular sponsors for several years now. These are large, respected companies in Norway. I even blog at Simonsen, although not very regularly.

I don't dare to judge. But since they regularly renew the contract, apparently I benefit their business. From time to time I participate in some of their promotions. Normal work. I don't have any complexes about this.

- Are you famous in Norway? When you walk down the street, do people recognize you?

Yes, many people at home know me, they single me out from the crowd...

- Do you like it or, on the contrary, does it create problems?

It's OK. The only thing that’s a little annoying is when people come up on the street and start talking to me as if we just broke up yesterday... It looks a little strange! Usually there is no problem if they ask me for an autograph or, for example, ask me to take a photo with someone. I won't say that I like it very much, but it is an inevitable side of fame.

-Can you refuse someone?

If someone is too insistent, and I’m in a bad mood, I can refuse.

- How often do you appear on national TV and give interviews to newspapers?

As I said, there is Agdestein, who deals with all these issues... He receives some proposals every day. And if he thinks that the invitation is worth accepting, to go on television or give an interview to a newspaper, I do it.

- How do you feel about this side of your work?

I can’t say that this makes me delighted or repulsed. At times it can even be interesting. But I don't like to waste a lot of time on this.

- Do you think you have many fans in Norway?

No idea! I know that in our country there are many people who don’t even play chess, but still follow my performances. It is amazing! When I played in the World Cup in Khanty-Mansiysk five years ago, they showed me statistics of site visits. Norway was confidently in the top three in terms of requests.

In short, many people in Norway know who I am. But I don’t have any statistics on personal fans. Perhaps we should hold the tournament at our house...

-Have you ever thought of “converting” your popularity into something tangible?

What, for example?

For example, meet a girl you like, get some thing that is not so easy for an “ordinary” person to get?

I can't say that I've ever tried to squeeze something out of my fame. First of all, I’m not sure that this will necessarily “work”. And secondly... if I suddenly want to meet a girl in a bar, then I’m unlikely to tell her that I’m a famous chess player. The reason people drink there is to become bolder!

- Do you consider yourself brave in various life situations?

I try to go to the end. If I’ve decided something for myself, if I think I’m right.

-Have you ever fought to defend your rights?

Each of us has fought at least once in our lives. True, I don’t remember when.

- But what if you suddenly have to?

I'll try to find some other way to settle things.

- Do you prefer to take out your aggression on the chessboard?

I wouldn't say that I'm aggressive. This is not my brightest quality. Kasparov is much more aggressive than me, I felt it while working with him...

- How do you feel when looking at the world rankings?

I like that I'm in first place. I wish it could stay like this for longer!

- Do you think about breaking Harry's rating records someday?

A little. I can’t say that this is my goal in itself, but I think that potentially I could score more than 2851. But, I repeat, this is not so important. If this works out, it will be great. If it doesn't work out, I won't be too upset...

POKER? NO - CHESS!

When I asked about your hobbies, I thought you would “split” - lately there have been persistent rumors that you are seriously interested in poker. This is true?

No, these rumors are greatly exaggerated. I play, but very rarely and in small ways.

Quoting the same rumors, they say that it was almost Kasparov who advised you to play poker - they say it is useful for developing intuition...

And this is completely complete nonsense! I'm not sure he plays poker himself.

- Well, then you yourself will have to tell how it all happened!

The story is simple... The first time I played was in 2005 at the European Team Championship. Nielsen explained the rules and gave me his account on one of the rooms so that I could try my hand. The fact is that many players in that tournament went to the casino after the game, but I was simply not allowed there - I was only 15 years old.

- And you started surfing the net?

I wouldn't call it a skating rink. Peter-Heine said I could take over his account and play, but warned me not to lose more than $25!

-What did you play?

I sat down at the $0.25/$0.50 no-limit hold'em cash tables. At first, he quickly gave $25 of Nielsen money, then, fearing that he might return, he won it back. At the moment when Peter-Heine returned, I was at a slight disadvantage, but then, alas, I lost everything... More than Nielsen determined for me. This was my first time.

- What were your first impressions?

I didn’t like that I lost, but I knew I could beat them! Considering the serious mistakes I made, these people could have been beaten...

-Have you tried your hand at online yet?

I wouldn't say that I was very interested in it, and chess took up a lot of my time. For about a year after that I didn’t play at all. And then I started playing live from time to time with my friends from school.

- For you, is poker pure entertainment in good company?

Yes, nothing serious. For example, I don’t play on the Internet at all.

- Has it really never captured you?

Once, a few years ago. I played from morning to evening for about a week, but it seems to me that that time was enough for me for years to come!

- Did you lose a lot that time?

No, I just got fed up with poker. I was often “run over”, I still sat down and played some more, but at some point I suddenly became uninteresting. It happens.

- What is your favorite game?

Like everyone else, I play hold'em. The guys and I tried to play Omaha several times, but for us it’s too difficult a game: it all ends with an inevitable all-in on the flop, and then whoever gets lucky. I played Omaha on Full TlIt in much the same way.

What do you think about other players who switch from chess to poker in batches, believing that they can earn much more there?

This is the choice of everyone. Some people feel better playing poker, while others like chess. I don't have much bluffing on the board, I'm looking for the best move. Maybe this makes it harder for me at the poker table. And for some it happens more naturally.

And even when I play with my friends, my goal is not to win money from them, but to call their bluff, to show logic. I like to reveal other people's plans.

Based on your approach, it's unlikely we'll ever see you playing in any poker tournaments? Moreover, a serious, expensive tournament.

I can’t vouch for the future, but in the near future - no. I once played in a live tournament in Norway. I can't say that I really liked it. In a cash game, where you can leave the table at any time, it’s easier for me... And besides, I didn’t have the opportunity to really play. Every minute someone came up to me and asked about something: “You’re a famous chess player, how did you get here?!”

- Have you ever compared poker and chess?

There is something in common between them - in both cases it is necessary to analyze the situation, not lose concentration, and calculate the chances. But in poker a lot depends on chance, but in chess I have complete control over the situation. That's why I choose chess!

Born November 30, 1990. Magnus Carlsen has the highest rating in the history of world chess. Classic, rapid and blitz - in all types of chess, Magnus Carlsen is a champion, with the corresponding ratings - 2840 - 2896 - 2914. The highest rating in standard chess was recorded in May 2014 - 2842 points.

Magnus Carlsen: “Chess is the love of my life”

Magnus's father, Henrik Carlsen, was an engineer for an oil company who played good chess and had a decent rating for a little-known chess player - 2101 points in the Elo rating. When Magnus was 5 years old, his father taught him the rules of chess. Little by little, the little chess player began to get involved in this activity seriously, voraciously reading chess books and blitzing for several hours a day on the Internet. Literally falling in love with this game, Magnus gradually began to improve and eagerly study combinations and openings. Successes quickly made themselves felt: Microsoft began sponsoring Magnus and his family in 2003, predicting a great future for him.

Chess genius of our time

In the chess world, he is considered a modern genius, because Magnus tends to memorize about 10 thousand games by heart. His thinking is a powerful computer, which in seconds is capable of calculating in advance several dozen, or even hundreds of chess moves. At the age of 13 years and 148 days, the young chess prodigy won the title of grandmaster, making him the third youngest chess grandmaster in the world. Every year Magnus takes his game and thinking to new heights.

Playing style

Since childhood, the young chess player loved open and aggressive play, often attacking the opponent's pieces, attacking the king and queen flanks, and also immediately agreed to an exchange. His play testified to the chess player’s complete fearlessness and lack of nerves. As he grew older, Carlsen began to realize that a risky style was not good for competing against world elite chess players, although he already had experience of defeating serious grandmasters. As he began to play in the world's leading chess tournaments, his style gradually became universalized, capable of handling many types of board positions advantageously enough to obtain a victory over his opponent.

With age and serious victories, Carlsen developed his own universal playing style. He is especially strong in the middlegame and endgame, but he does not play openings according to the textbook. This especially confuses his opponents when Magnus chooses the 20th move by popularity from playing some opening or defense. Many prominent chess grandmasters often comment on the champion's style of play. Magnus Carlsen's games are analyzed in parts, assessing the correctness and correctness of the moves. There are quite a few opinions, but each one mentions the genius of the current champion.

Magnus Carlsen vs the computer

In the age of modern and information technology, chess programs and artificial intelligence have reached such a level that a computer leaves no chance of winning against a human. This fact makes almost everyone wonder whether Magnus Carlsen can beat artificial intelligence, given that he beats almost all famous chess players. Magnus answers this question as follows: “I’m more interested in fighting people than fighting a computer. There are many interesting games where the “King’s Indian Defense” is encountered, which is very difficult to play correctly. So not yet."

Grandmasters about Magnus Carlsen

Sergey Karyakin: “He plays almost perfectly, makes virtually no mistakes and has a phenomenal memory.”

Luc van Wely: “His specialty as a true world champion is that he is able to get out of almost any situation on the chessboard. Where many players get stuck and don't know how to move forward, Magnus Carlsen is just starting to play. He is a real psychologist, because he very subtly senses the mood and intentions of his opponents. Magnus Carlsen never loses faith that his opponent will make a mistake that will be key and the game will be won.”

Sergei Shipov: “He is a true leader of the chess world for several years now, and no one can dispute this. His current ranking position is comparable to the achievements of Gary Kasparov in his best years. Undoubtedly, Kasparov’s lead from his pursuers was much greater and lasted for many years, but then there were no powerful chess programs, as there are now, that help with preparation. In the modern world, computers and information technologies have successfully equalized the strength of competing chess players. That’s why it’s much more difficult to be a champion now.”

Gary Kasparov: “Carlsen’s game is the newly minted major chess league of the modern generation. In my time, I devoted a lot to books and detailed study of chess combinations and positions. And now powerful programs have begun to replace chess analysis. Chess players of the new generation have begun to look like robots; their play is pragmatic and material. However, Magnus does all this based on his intuition, which certainly makes me happy.”

According to Henrik Carlsen, his son has something in common with Ronaldo

In Manhattan, Russian Karyakin is now nearing the finish line in 55th place. On Friday morning the result of the 10th game will be known. So, there are two more left - and that’s it! Who will try on the chess crown?

Mom is the best adviser.

Played with myself and was happy

Our Karyakin had a brother when he was 17 years old. As a child, only the cat could withstand his 7-hour analysis of sketches, so the boy often played with himself and cried bitterly when one half of him lost because he stupidly blundered a piece.

Is it true? Oh, poor thing! With Magnus it was the other way around. He also played with himself, since he cut up his sisters quite quickly, but if one half of him lost, he was glad that the second one won, since she had pulled off a clever combination and he could learn something from it. Playing with himself, he was always happy.

Ten world chess champions had citizenship of the USSR or Russia, sometimes this monopoly was diluted by the Cuban Capablanca, the American Fischer, the Indian Anand... What is the secret of the success of the “Norwegian phenomenon”, as it is called?

I am especially pleased that my son succeeded in chess, and not in traditional winter sports, because many people wrongly believe that Norwegians are not capable of anything else except skiing.

I don’t know where Magnus got his talent for chess. When I first started teaching him at the age of 5, he was interested, but he did not show much success. I did not insist on anything and did not push him to further growth.

Only when he was 8 years old did he begin to attend a chess school in a sports club, which was opened by a grandmaster. Magnus showed good potential and was invited to play and train there several times a month.

Athletes usually think early about what they will do when they retire from sports, since their life span is short. Chess players, although they also experience physical stress, are a different matter. Have you and Magnus ever discussed what else he could do for a living, or is chess all he's interested in?

If he is interested in something, then he is very passionate about the process. Today his whole life is chess, but in the future I do not rule out that other activities will appear that will captivate him, but, most likely, chess will still forever remain his main activity. He has productive relationships with sponsors, in his free time he is a successful model, advertises a wide variety of products - clothes, watches, perfume, and is photographed for glossy magazines...

What is more pleasant - to win some kind of backyard tournament or to get on the cover of Vogue, like Cristiano Ronaldo, for whom he is a fan? The Real Madrid forward once admitted on his social network page that in this case, the second is more important for him.

Of course, for Magnus it is more pleasant to win a game, even in the courtyard, than to be on the cover of a fashion magazine. Here he is not like Ronaldo.

- Does he have fans who follow him all over the world, vomiting for selfies as soon as he appears somewhere?

Yes, here he has something similar to Ronaldo, but, fortunately, on a smaller scale. He has been receiving the attention of fans for several years now, and he is pleased that someone is interested in him. He wants to use his position to promote chess, especially among children. Chess is an inspiring, motivating game. It trains the abilities necessary for life - long-term memory, quick decision making, friendly interaction with another person at the board, discipline.

- How does he feel after playing against opponents who are weaker than him for several years in a row?(Since 2013, Carlsen has held the highest Elo rating in the history of its existence, breaking Kasparov’s record, which he held for 13 years; our Karjakin is in ninth place in this chess table of ranks. - Auth.)

The hardest thing was getting to the top, staying there was very nice.

If you drink coffee all the time, there will be no results

How does Magnus stay fit to stay on top? How many hours does he sleep during a match? What sport is practiced these days? Does he follow a diet? Does he drink several cups of coffee, as the 12th world champion Karpov advises?

He loves to sleep. At least 8–10 hours. He has no diet or any special food preferences other than orange juice diluted with water or with ice. Karpov is right about something: if you don’t have a habit of coffee, like my boy, then this will give you additional energy. If you drink coffee all the time, there will be no results. He enjoys football, table tennis, and tennis. His latest passion is basketball, he not only plays it, but also watches all the NBA games.

- As a sparring partner, does he play only with grandmasters or with the computer too?

He hates the computer! In the sense of being a playing partner. He loves people as rivals and often hangs out on Internet sites, sorting out relationships over a virtual board with completely unfamiliar partners. So if you're playing on one of the hundreds of free chess sites with an anonymous name, be careful - it might be my son on the other side of the screen.

- Does he play chess all the time, even on days off from it?

I'm afraid that if he doesn't play, he thinks about them all the time. Chess is always on his mind, no matter what he does.

- Do you and he not have the feeling that the rest of your life is passing by like this? Magnus is a young guy.

He doesn't complain. Between tournaments he meets with friends and has fun with them. Continuously generating chess positions in your mind.

- Can a chess player of Carlsen’s level still have time for friendly gatherings?

Yes, Magnus has many friends. He is friends with about 30–40 chess players in their 20s and 30s.

-Who is his best friend?

He has three close friends.

-Are they here in New York now?

Yes, being surrounded by friends and family is important to Magnus. Mom flew in to cheer for him for the third game, but had already flown away. Sister Ingrid will be here for another week, and then the other sisters will replace her.

- How nice. Fans call him Baby and Viking, what do you call him?

Hehe, we are only Viking, we like it better that way.

The manager of our candidate, Kirill Zangalis, gave you the book “Kid and Carlson” in Russian. Did you manage to improve our language before the fight with the Russian?

We haven't finished the book yet, but Magnus knows a little Russian.

- What phrases can he say?

- (Answers in Russian with a strong accent, but confidently.) Good afternoon, grandma, please!

- You speak Russian too! What do you think about the Soviet and Russian chess school?

You had many champions, which always made a good impression on us.

- Karjakin’s favorite chess player is Alekhine. Does Magnus have a favorite chess player in the history of the game?

Don't think. He always says that he wants to learn from all the masters. Magnus's big advantage is that he always tries to be objective and not emotional.

- Maybe he prefers some style more - for example, American or Soviet?

This is a good question, why haven't I asked them before? Please ask it to Magnus if possible, I’m interested myself.

(I asked the question)

“I have in my head ten thousand games played by grandmasters in different eras,” Magnus Carlsen shocked MK with his answer. - If you restore the final position of any of them, then I will tell you who played it and in what city and year it was. One of the most beloved is the first classical game at the Candidates Tournament between Anand and Kamsky, in Sanginagar, India, 1994, which ended in a draw. And I also find inspiration in many of Kramnik’s decisions. Many of his games should be included in chess textbooks, and he himself should learn from them, analyzing them move by move, they are so beautiful).

- Henrik, when Magnus first became world champion, what did he tell you?

He came up to me and began muttering something dejectedly about the fact that he had made mistakes in some games during the match and that he was worried about it.

- And what did you answer him?

That he is a champion. Can finally relax and have fun. Today it can no longer, there is a new struggle in New York. But looking at him, I, his servant and his fan, enjoy.