March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010
January 2011
February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
News Every Day |

How Magnus Carlsen went from the world's best chess player to refusing to defend his title after losing motivation with the game

Magnus Carlsen looks down at a chessboard with his arms crossed
Magnus Carlsen of Norway competes against Daniil Dubov of Russia on January 16, 2020 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.
  • Magnus Carlsen was 13 when he became a Grandmaster and 19 when he became the youngest ever world No. 1.
  • He won five world championships, modeled for G-Star, was offered a role in Star Trek, and made millions of dollars.
  • He's considered the first proper chess superstar since Bobby Fischer, but in 2022, he said he would not defend his title.

Magnus Carlsen once said the first line of his autobiography would be: "I am not a genius."

Regardless of whether he is a genius, Carlsen is certainly remarkable. He's been the world's best chess player for the last 10 years. He became a chess Grandmaster at 13, then the youngest player to ever rank number 1 in the world at 19. He's won five world championships. 

According to the Elo rating system, which has ranked chess players by their estimated strength for a century, he's the best ever.

But in 2022, he announced he would not be defending his title. He said he wasn't motivated and that he didn't have a lot to gain.

Magnus Carlsen was born in Norway on November 30, 1990. When he was 2, he was completing 50-piece puzzles. By 4, he was memorizing countries and population sizes across the world. By 5, he was spending hours playing with Legos.
Magnus Carlsen participates in the Dubai Open chess tournament in 2004.
Magnus Carlsen participates in the Dubai Open chess tournament in 2004.

"He had the ability to sit for a very long time, even when he was small," his mother Sigrun told The Wall Street Journal.

Sources: Guardian, CNN, New Yorker, Wall Street Journal

He didn't start playing until he was 8 years old. His father Henrik tried to get him into it when he was 5 but failed to captivate him.
Henrik Carlsen looks at his son during a press conference in 2007.
Henrik Carlsen looks at his son during a press conference in 2007.

"Well, some people can really focus on chess at a much earlier age, even 4 or 5 years old, but I couldn't," Carlsen told The Guardian. "Age 8 was the right time for me."

Carlsen got interested in the game when his older sister started playing properly because he wanted to beat her. At first, Henrik only used one piece against Carlsen's complete set.

Every time Carlsen beat his dad, Henrik got to add a piece, making it increasingly difficult to beat him.

Sources: New Yorker, CNN, New York Times, Guardian

Carlsen quickly began to prioritize chess over everything else, including school. At dinner, he had a second table set up beside the main table with a chessboard on it. He spent five hours each night playing.
Swedish Magnus Carlsen,13, plays chess against Costa Rican Alejandro Ramirez, 15, on the first day of the Corus Chess Tournament in January 2005.
Swedish Magnus Carlsen,13, plays chess against Costa Rican Alejandro Ramirez, 15, on the first day of the Corus Chess Tournament in January 2005.

Source: Guardian

Within a year, he had beaten his father in blitz chess where each player only has five minutes to play. Soon after, he entered local competitions.
Magnus Carlsen poses for a portrait in front of a chess set in 2007.
Magnus Carlsen in 2007.

In 2000, when he was 9 years old, Carlsen took classes with former Norwegian junior champion Torbjorn Ringdal Hansen. 

In 2001, he started taking classes under Norwegian Grandmaster Simen Agdestein, who tutored him over the next four years. 

Agdestein told the New Yorker he was the "best natural player" he had ever seen.

Source: New Yorker

Carlsen played all of the time. He told The Guardian it wasn't an accident he became Norway's best chess player.
Magnus Carlsen, 19, sits in the chair at a barbers shop in Oslo on August 31, 2009.
Magnus Carlsen, 19, sits in the chair at a barbers shop in Oslo on August 31, 2009.

He said his peers treated it like a hobby. But for him, he said it was "something I wanted to do every day, so it was only natural that I surpassed them."

"How I managed to take the next steps rather than others, I cannot tell you," he said.

Source: Guardian

In 2004, when he was 13, The Washington Post dubbed him the "Mozart of chess" after he paused for 30 minutes during a match before making his move.
Magnus Carlsen, 19, looks on while being shaved at a barbers shop in Oslo on August 31, 2009.
Magnus Carlsen, 19, looks on while being shaved at a barbers shop in Oslo on August 31, 2009.

He sacrificed three high-value pieces which enabled him to trap and beat his opponent, Sipke Ernst, in a surprise win.

Source: New Yorker

Carlsen also became a Grandmaster in 2013 after beating former world champion Anatoli Karpov. He was the third youngest player to do so.
Magnus Carlsen poses for a portrait in front of a chess set in 2013.
Magnus Carlsen in 2013.
In 2007, he was winning enough — and earning enough — that his parents formed a company to deal with his prize money.
Magnus Carlsen straightened his tie in 2009.
Magnus Carlsen straightened his tie in 2009.
In 2009, he dropped out of school without graduating having decided he wasn't interested. For about a year during this period, former world champion Gary Kasparov started coaching him.
Chess Player Gary Kasparov competes during Grand Prix Intel Tournament, Paris, on November 13, 1994.
Chess Player Gary Kasparov competes during Grand Prix Intel Tournament, Paris, on November 13, 1994.

Coaching didn't come cheap. It cost Carlsen's family several hundred thousand dollars, but it paid off. In 2010, after a year of working together, Carlsen reached No. 1 in the world. At 19, he was the youngest person to ever do so. 

His working relationship with Kasparov didn't last though. Carlsen said he was too intense. 

"I felt like every day I just had to build up my energy to be able to face him," he told The New Yorker.

Kasparov also didn't approve of how casually Carlsen trained. 

Carlsen has regularly been labeled "lazy" due to the intensity of his training compared to some of his peers. 

Regardless, in 2010, Kasparov told Time, "Before he is done, Carlsen will have changed our ancient game considerably."

Sources: New York Times, New Yorker, CNN, BBC

It was around this period that Carlsen became a genuine celebrity. He was the first world champion from the West since Bobby Fischer, who became a household name after beating Boris Spassky in 1972.
Bobby Fischer poses for a portrait in front of a chess set in 1971.
Bobby Fischer in 1971.

Andrew Paulson, former chief executive of Agon, a company affiliated with top chess tournaments, told The New York Times that Carlsen was a refreshing change from the typical chess stars who were "old, cranky, strange Russians whose names all start with K."

Sources: New York Times, BBC, New Yorker, Guardian

Carlsen modeled next to actress Liv Tyler. He was profiled by "60 Minutes." He got multiple sponsorships from Unibet and a number of Norwegian companies.
Magnus Carlsen and Liv Tyler in 2010.
Magnus Carlsen and Liv Tyler in 2010.

One brand manager described Carlsen as a "cross between a boxer and a '50s gangster."

Sources: New York Times, BBC

In 2011, Carlsen showed a glimmer of his unpredictability when he refused to compete in the world championships.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway competes during the 83rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament on January 27, 2021.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway competes during the 83rd Tata Steel Chess Tournament on January 27, 2021.

He didn't like how the competition conducted its qualifying matches. He called it a "shallow ceaseless match-after-match concept."

By skipping the competition, he lost the chance to become the youngest-ever world champion.

Even so, that year he earned about $1.2 million from prize money and sponsorships.

Sources: New Yorker, The Ringer, New York Times

In 2012, he was profiled by "60 Minutes." In the episode, he played — and beat — 10 different players without ever looking at the chessboards.
Magnus Carlsen from Norway plays a chess game on November 25, 2012, in Mexico City, Mexico.
Magnus Carlsen from Norway plays a chess game on November 25, 2012, in Mexico City, Mexico.

"I enjoy it when I see my opponent really suffering when he knows that I've outsmarted him," he said on the show. "If I lose just one game, then usually, you know, I just want to really get revenge."

Source: CBS News

In 2013, he co-founded the company "Play Magnus," which started as an app based on his chess history but soon broadened to include online games, training, and publishing.
Magnus Carlsen in 2022.
Magnus Carlsen in 2022.

By 2021, it had 250 employees and around 4 million users, and its shares are worth about $115 million.

He doesn't work there day-to-day, but he helps with broad strategy.

Source: New York Times

In 2013, he agreed to compete in the world championships. Just before turning 22, he beat then-world champion 44-year-old Viswanathan Anand.
Magnus Carlsen training for his first World Championship match against Vishy Anand on August 5, 2013 in Kragero,Norway.
Magnus Carlsen training for his first World Championship match against Vishy Anand on August 5, 2013 in Kragero, Norway.

According to BBC, their match was the most widely covered title match since the Cold War.

In their final game, when the competition had already been won, Carlsen could have settled for a draw. Instead, he went for the win.

Kasparov told The New Yorker he wasn't surprised.

"He likes to play, he likes to win, and he had the better position," he said. "He's a maximalist like Fischer, and he expects to fight to the death." 

In the end, Anand got a draw from that game. 

Sources: BBC, New Yorker, The Ringer

Carlsen went on to win four more world championships. He beat Anand again, then Sergey Karjakin, Fabiano Caruana, and Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Magnus Carlsen holds up a trophy after winning the chess world championship in 2018.
Magnus Carlsen after winning the chess world championship in 2018.

Anand told ESPN Carlsen's most impressive qualities were his flexibility and unpredictability. 

"Whatever situation you drop him, his promptness to react is brilliant," he said.

Sources: CNN, ESPN

By 2018, The New York Times was reporting on the "Magnus Effect." In Norway, his successes led to a surge in chess popularity.
Fans watching a livestream of one of Magnus Carlsen’s matches in 2016.
Fans watching a livestream of one of Magnus Carlsen’s matches in 2016.

About 500,000 Norwegians played chess online regularly out of a population of 5 million.

Source: New York Times

But Carlsen himself wasn't feeling it. He said his goal had only been to win the world championship once. He competed for his third title in 2016 due to other people's expectations, and he said that his fourth and fifth wins were "nothing."
Magnus Carlsen played chess in 2020.
Magnus Carlsen played chess in 2020.

Following his victory in the world championship in 2018, he told reporters if he'd lost to Caruana that would have been it. He would have quit the game.

After winning, he said, "Four championships to five, it didn't mean anything to me. It was nothing. I was satisfied with the job that I'd done. I was happy not to have lost the match, but that was it."

When the media asked Carlsen and Caruana to pick their favorite players from the past, Carlsen said himself,  but from "like three or four years ago."

Sources: CNN, The Ringer, ESPN, NPR

Even so, in 2019 he went on another winning streak, emerging victorious in eight different tournaments and not losing once in 125 games.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway competes against Jorden Van Foreest of Netherlands during the 82nd Tata Steel Chess Tournament held in Dorpshuis De Moriaan on January 14, 2020 in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands.
Magnus Carlsen of Norway competes against Jorden Van Foreest of Netherlands on January 14, 2020.

If that wasn't enough, he also reached the top of football's official fantasy league. 

He said his success in the fantasy league, unlike chess, was down to luck.

Sources: The Ringer, Guardian

When the pandemic hit, Carlsen could no longer tour, but he didn't stop playing chess. He hosted an online tournament called the "Magnus Carlsen Invitation" with $250,000 in prize money.
Magnus Carlsen in 2022.
Magnus Carlsen in 2022.

During the tournament, Carlsen lost to a 16-year-old player named Alireza Firouzja. 

"It pissed me off a lot," he told CNN.

Even so, online chess's popularity grew. Between 2020 and 2022, Chess.com doubled its monthly users, ending up at 16 million.

Sources: The Ringer, CNN

In 2021, Carlsen was on another winning streak before he lost to Hans Niemann, a 19-year-old American Grandmaster, during a tournament in the US, who he accused of cheating.
Magnus Carlsen cradles his head in his hands during a chess match in 2021.
Magnus Carlsen in 2021.

Carlsen immediately left the tournament, which was highly unusual. He later posted on Twitter suggesting he believed Niemann had cheated. Niemann had admitted to cheating before. 

Two weeks later, they played against each other again online, but Carlsen left the game after one move. He didn't immediately explain why he had left, but he later released a statement accusing Niemann of cheating again.

"I believe that Niemann has cheated more — and more recently — than he has publicly admitted," he said.

In 2022, Chess.com released a report that stated Niemann had likely received illegal support in at least 100 games played online. 

Niemann responded by suing Carlsen, Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura, and Chess.com for $100 million in damages over the allegations.

Sources: The Ringer, NBC News, Vice, CBS Sports

In July 2022, Carlsen also announced he would not be defending his world championship title.
Magnus Carlsen in 2020.
Magnus Carlsen in 2020.

On his podcast "The Magnus Effect" he said, "The conclusion is — it's very simple — that I'm not motivated to play another match."

"I simply feel that I don't have a lot to gain," he said. According to the Elo rating system, he was already the best ever. 

But Carlsen also said he wasn't walking away forever. 

"I don't see myself stopping as a chess player anytime soon," he said.

Sources: The Ringer, Five Thirty-Eight

In May 2023, Carlsen made a return to the game without his world championship title at a tournament in Poland.
Magnus Carlsen during the presentation of players and press conference in Warsaw, Poland, on May 20, 2023.
Magnus Carlsen during the presentation of players and press conference in Warsaw, Poland, on May 20, 2023.

Carlsen had a seven-game winning streak at the Superbet Rapid & Blitz tournament and held on for a draw in the final game, securing the $40,000 cash prize.

"Already on the third day I was feeling in normal shape, and I thought that's good, I can actually play chess," Carlsen said after the tournament. "Whether I'd actually be able to compete for tournament victory at that point I didn't think about because its too early and not realistic. Even with +10 in the Blitz it was still close but I'm very happy."

"It's nice to show that my retirement only lasted a couple of days," he added.

Source: CNN

Read the original article on Insider
Настроение

Что известно о похищении туристки из России в Мексике. Муж выкупил Марию у местного картеля за 2 400$

Classic Science Fiction The Invading Asteroid - Full Audiobook - Alien Invasion

Discover Boho Elegance: Furniture & Interior Services Redefined

Sci-Fi Creepypasta I Met Myself On A Mirrored Earth Alternate Reality Story

Sci-Fi Creepypasta The Devolution Experiment Body HORROR Story

Ria.city






Read also

Slow Cooker French Onion Soup - Easy Classic Soup Recipe!

‘I would say yes…’ – Phil Thompson names ‘fantastic coach’ he’d like to see replacing Klopp

Howard Bison and Wagner Seahawks play in the First 4

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

Sci-Fi Creepypasta I Met Myself On A Mirrored Earth Alternate Reality Story

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Sci-Fi Creepypasta The Devolution Experiment Body HORROR Story



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Россиянка Касаткина вплотную приблизилась к топ-10 рейтинга WTA



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

«Трактор» победил «Динамо» в овертайме и вышел вперёд в серии Кубка Гагарина



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

Стали известны самые популярные активности «Московского долголетия»


Новости России

Game News

Мафия-НН: Осознав всю нелепость своего положения, "мирняк" собрался и поразил своего обидчика в самую его сущность бытия.


Russian.city


Симферополь

Никита Михалков проголосовал на выборах президента РФ в Симферополе


Губернаторы России
Владимир Путин

Путин победил с 86,97% голосов на выборах президента РФ в Приамурье


Время созывать гостей: в Москве встретили Новый год по лунному календарю

Предварительные итоги выборов президента России в Новосибирской области

"Известия": Песков оценил идею переговоров РФ и США о контроле над вооружениями

Прокуратура контролирует выяснение причин смертельного ДТП в Зеленограде


Суд прекратил производство по делу сети пивных Розенбаума о долгах по ЖКХ

“Вы сейчас какой-то новый конфликт рождаете!” Сергей Лазарев все-таки сфотографировался с Анастасией Волочковой в “Шоу Воли” на ТНТ

“Вы сейчас какой-то новый конфликт рождаете!” Сергей Лазарев все-таки сфотографировался с Анастасией Волочковой в “Шоу Воли” на ТНТ

Все альбомы Metallica от худшего к лучшему


Российский теннисист Медведев вышел в финал турнира ATP в Калифорнии

Медведев обыграл Пола и встретится с Алькарасом в финале турнира в США

Касаткина отреагировала на слова Медведева о «советах тренера WTA»

«Время выбираться» Андреа Петкович



Вышедшие из строя лучевые аппараты в томской больнице отремонтируют в ближайшее время

"Известия": Песков оценил идею переговоров РФ и США о контроле над вооружениями

Признали невменяемой. Мать, зарезавшую сына в Москве, отправили на лечение

Алексей Заварухин: Никто не ожидал, что «Трактор» заберет две игры в Москве


Спортсмены из Росгвардии завоевали золото на Чемпионате России по спортивной гимнастике

"Известия": Песков оценил идею переговоров РФ и США о контроле над вооружениями

Работники филиала «Забайкальский» ООО «ЛокоТех-Сервис» в первый день голосования выборов президента России, провели масленичные гулянья у себя в офисе.

При поддержке Фонда Президентских грантов в Самарской области проводятся инклюзивные занятия по художественной гимнастике для «особенных детей»


В Подмосковье вылечили пенсионерку с частичной потерей зрения

Полиция "нашла" пропавшего парня у себя в камере. И снова потеряла

Комплекс по переработке отходов в Кашире реконструируют к августу

Заммэра Сергунина пригласила московских предпринимателей на курс «Экспортеры 2.0»



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Александр Розенбаум

Сеть пивных Александра Розенбаума погасит долги перед коммунальными службами



News Every Day

Sci-Fi Creepypasta I Met Myself On A Mirrored Earth Alternate Reality Story




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости