Magnus Carlsen: “Ian can be very difficult to play against”
This extensive interview with the World Champion, courtesy of the Chess Federation of Russia (CFR), was recorded just before the closing ceremony of the FIDE World Cup when the long tournament came to an end. Magnus Carlsen talked frankly about various things – from the performance in Sochi and the World Championship match with Ian Nepomniachtchi to chess in the COVID-10 era and the future of our sport. The video version is available on the FIDE YouTube channel. – Magnus, please sum up your performance at the FIDE World Cup. – Overall, I’m satisfied with the performance. The classical part was very, very good, with eight wins and no losses. I think everybody, when playing such a tournament, aims to win it, but it’s very difficult against such opposition in the knockout format, and I have to say that winning six out of seven matches is something to be generally happy with. Winning the World Cup has been a goal of mine for some time, so that goal still hasn’t been achieved, but I guess it’s good to have something to strive for. – This time, you were closer to win it than ever before. What do you think went wrong? – I think there was really only one weak moment, the match against Duda. Obviously, he pressured me a bit with the white pieces, but I think I handled that fairly well in the classical part. Then, that one game was a combination of me losing my nerves, and clearly, he was the one who played the strongest chess among my opponents. So if I were going to lose to somebody, it would be him, but I do think that I would win that match more often than not, obviously. I knew coming in that Duda was not only strong in classical but also very good at rapid and blitz; he was going to be a strong opponent. That’s what happens in this format; sometimes, you lose to strong opponents if you play enough rounds. – Yes, knockout is very cruel. Do you think that the chess world needs more knockout events? – I’ve always been very much in favour of knockout events, I think that, in a way, they are the fairest, so I’m all for that. I think the public also likes it. There’s drama in every round; there’s always going to be a decision. It’s unbelievably cruel for the players… – But still, it’s fair. – But still, that’s the way it is, and I think there’s no particular harm for us in experiencing those emotions. Even though it’s cruel, the good thing about the knockout system is that when you lose, you can just go home. So, it’s cruel to be out, but at least you don’t have to suffer in a bad turn of form for weeks. – Yes, and this time the players also faced other problems. Were the anti-Covid measures here in Sochi a problem for you? – I thought that, in general, people here were pretty relaxed about Covid. Obviously, there was a scare at the start with the positive tests, but I’m happy – as far as I know, everybody is… – Negative. – Yes, everybody is OK now. Personally, I don’t really mind the mask and the testing and everything so much. It’s become a kind of normalised, and I’m just happy that we were able to have this tournament without a lot of problems. – Sometimes, there are comments when you take part in events that are a part of the World Championship cycle. The comments imply that you’re somehow interfering in the qualification system. What can you answer to those who say it? Would you consider playing in the Candidates Tournament if you had such a possibility? – That’s an interesting question. So far, both in the World Cup and the Grand Swiss, I hadn’t reached qualifying spots, but you can say that yes, I knocked out people along the way. I mean, personally, for me, the World Cup is such a prestigious and interesting event, so I’m very happy to take part in it, and I don’t think it’s up to me to decide whether I should be allowed to play or not. I mean, I’m very happy to take part, even though I understand that to some it can be a bit confusing to see the system, but it’s not up for me. – So, if you’re allowed, you’re taking part, right? – In general, yes, I don’t have any ethical problems with it (laughs). – Speaking about the World Championship matches. Since 2013, you have played in four matches. Do you enjoy this type of chess event? Which match was the most difficult for you, and which was the most memorable? – I would say that the most difficult match for me was the one against Karjakin. I started out fairly OK, putting serious pressure. I was winning in both the third and fourth games, but after I failed to win them, I was sort of cut out of rhythm a bit, and I was very, very close to losing the match. I never had a good feeling at all during that match, so that was definitely the most difficult and the most stressful and also the least enjoyable one for me. I guess the most memorable was the first match against Anand, since everything was new, and I was the challenger. But I must say that the most enjoyable for me was the match against Caruana in 2018. – Why? – I just had a different feeling during that match since I felt that Caruana was pretty much equal to me in rating at that point, and I felt that he was a completely equal opponent. That made it easier for me, because I didn’t feel the same way I needed to win the match. I didn’t feel that I was playing someone whom I should beat. So, I would say that the match in London was a
World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities set for November
The International Chess Federation is excited to announce the 4th FIDE World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities, to be held from 4-14 November 2021. This year the championship, organized by Dresdner Schachfestival e.V. under the auspices of FIDE, will be held online due to continuous Covid-19 restrictions across the world. The fourth edition of the World Chess Championship for People with Disabilities is expected to bring together around 100 players from 50 countries, satisfying their needs for communication, self-esteem and recognition at a hard time of the pandemic. The 9-round Swiss tournament with 45 minutes + 30 seconds increment per move, starting from move 1, is an individual competition with an additional team ranking. Its winners will earn the titles of “World Chess Champion among Disabled 2021” in the individual ranking and “World Chess Team Champion among Disabled 2021” in the team competition. The first round kicks off on November 05, 2021; the winners will be determined after the last round, played on November 13. The official Closing Ceremony of the event is scheduled for November 14, 2021. Registration of the participants should be completed by November 1, 2021, using the online form. Tournament regulations (pdf) Further Information: Website: www.schachfestival.de worldchess-disabled.com/en/ Photo: Ismael Nieto