A small indication of how Magnus Carlsen has revitalized chess came on Thursday afternoon when the world's top player strolled through a London café, trailed by school kids chanting 'Magnus! Magnus!' as they tried to snap selfies on the go. The chess boom, fueled by the pandemic and the Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit,' has propelled the game into unexpected realms.
England's football stars like Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Anthony Gordon have all expressed their passion for chess. Chelsea's manager, Enzo Maresca, penned a 7,000-word thesis on how chess can sharpen a football coach's mind. Last year, Mohamed Salah confessed to being 'addicted to chess,' boasting a rating of around 1400—well above average—and mentioning Carlsen. 'I'm not Magnus, but I'm good,' he said. 'No one has a chance with Magnus. But hopefully, we will play one day.'
Would Carlsen be open to a game against the Liverpool striker? Absolutely. 'I'm a huge football fan and definitely a fan of Salah,' he tells the Observer. 'I've not met him yet, but I would certainly love to—as well as other sportspeople I admire who play chess.'
In 2018, Carlsen defeated Salah's teammate Alexander-Arnold in just 17 moves. So, is there anyone in the Premier League who might fare better? 'Martin Ødegaard plays a bit,' says Carlsen. 'He was playing a lot for a while, and then not so much. He's not a bad player, but he's private about it.'
Carlsen's love for football is evident; in 2020, he topped the official Fantasy Football rankings, ahead of 7.3 million others, before finishing the season in 10th. This year, however, isn't going as smoothly. 'It's horrible,' he says, smiling. 'I don't have Erling Haaland. I'm a bit casual these days.'
Carlsen is in the UK for the second edition of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, the sport's equivalent of cricket's Indian Premier League, featuring six franchise-based teams and a $1 million prize fund. 'It's an awesome initiative,' he insists, hoping it will attract more viewers.
Last year's tournament saw Carlsen deliver a strategic masterpiece against Vishy Anand, considered one of his finest endgames. Yet, Carlsen insists he has never played the perfect game. 'Nooooo,' he replies, bemused. 'I always make mistakes, so no.'
Carlsen's honesty is evident when asked if he should be considered the greatest ever, having been world No. 1 since July 2011. 'No,' he replies. 'It is still Garry.' Referring to Kasparov, the world champion from 1985 to 2000.
If perfection or legacy doesn't drive him, what keeps him motivated as he nears his mid-30s? Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik attributes it to Carlsen's innate desire to win and his talent. 'I'm not old by any means, but most of my competitors are younger,' he says. 'If I don't play for a couple of months and see these young guys winning tournaments, I think: 'Oh, maybe they've improved?' So staying ahead gives me a lot of pleasure.'
Defeat still stings. 'Honestly, I hate losing,' he says. 'Whenever I lose an important game, it still hurts. But I think that's a good thing. It shows I still want it. It shows that I still care.'
Carlsen voluntarily surrendered his classical world championship title last year. He will be watching next month's match between reigning champion Ding Liren and Gukesh closely. 'I think Gukesh is improving a lot,' he says. 'He's a significant favorite. But he's never played in a world championship before, so we'll see how he handles the pressure.'
Carlsen quickly dismisses the idea of challenging Gukesh for the world title if he beats Ding. 'I'm not ruling it out completely, but it's very unlikely,' he says.
What might Carlsen do after chess? Two former world champions, Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, ventured into politics. Could he do the same? 'That's a good question,' he responds. 'I think the main problem with politics for me is that I'm naturally an introvert, so I don't know if dealing with people all the time is right for me. I definitely want to settle down and have a family. But apart from that, I don't really know.'
Carlsen admits he is likely to move away from Norway to escape the celebrity spotlight. 'There are people who have it a lot worse than I do,' he says. 'But I've certainly lost some freedom in my life, both in Norway and other countries. Sometimes it can be annoying, but overall, I'm very privileged to do what I do. But I'm not going to live in Norway full time because I don't want my future wife and kids to also have that pressure.'
Meanwhile, he plans to work on his golf swing. 'I started last year, and I'm still not very good. But apart from that, I don't know. Then again, I don't feel like I need goals. Life is good.'
