Ratings are no longer a priority; focussed on growing the sport, says Magnus Carlsen
Magnus Carlsen will go down as one of the greatest that played chess. At the moment, he is the biggest brand that the sport has. Not alien to controversy either, Carlsen rarely opens up for a long conversation.
Currently leading the SG Alpine Warriors in the Global Chess League in Dubai, Carlsen took time out to talk to Boria Majumdar about his career, the new league, issues of discrimination in chess and how it is to play and train with the new generation of Indian talent. Extracts:The Global Chess League seems to have captured fans’ imagination in season one. Your thoughts on the format, on promoting new talent and if this is the ‘IPL moment’ for Chess?It’s fair to call it the IPL equivalent for chess.
Franchise teams, which include men and women from various nationalities, an exciting format, different points system, the league has indeed added to the sport. It is a good start and it is to be seen how the competition evolves in the future. But you can say it is the IPL moment for chess with more people watching and a new buzz around the sport.How has been the experience of working with Indian players at SG Alpine Warriors — D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi? You have been training with them.Yes, we played some games in training and it was exciting.
All of them are very exciting players and have a lot of talent. It says a lot about the future of the sport in India. It is now my turn to learn from them.
The important thing is they all have a very different style of play and when you train and play with them you get to learn new things. That’s what has been the highlight for me.Since the pandemic, there has been an increased interest in chess. How do you look at it and is the GCL a result of the success of
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