In a freewheeling interview with The Indian Categorical, Magnus Carlsen’s coach Peter Heine Nielsen mentioned the distinction between being Carlsen’s coach versus working for Viswanathan Anand, why each gamers aren’t politically outspoken, why Carlsen likes enjoying towards the youthful technology and whether or not Gukesh enjoying within the World Championship will coax him to re-consider competing for the crown.
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Gukesh is within the World Championship and there’s each chance that somebody like Praggnanandhaa or Arjun Erigaisi may be there quickly. Do you consider that these issues would possibly simply persuade Magnus to play as soon as once more?
I doubt it. However I haven’t spoken one phrase with him about it. I don’t know. They (the children) usually attempt to play chess with him, and that’s fascinating. Nakamura did the identical lately, so I ought to say so does the older technology. However not at all times. They’re extra scarred and nervous (making an attempt to play chess towards Magnus). He finds it fascinating to play towards the children as a result of they’re making an attempt to beat him. Usually, it goes fairly badly (for them). However what we noticed with Praggnanandhaa right here, he managed to beat Magnus by enjoying higher. I didn’t like that Pragg beat him (at Norway Chess)!
Magnus ought to reply this for himself. Possibly he gained’t thoughts enjoying a World Championship match with them, however what’s problematic is that he must really qualify. That will be fairly a (lengthy) route and would really feel a bit bizarre. What you would like to have is a generational conflict the place each gamers nonetheless have all of their powers. So a Magnus who hasn’t declined towards a Gukesh/Pragg/Arjun. A match towards Firoujza can be fascinating as properly. However it’s just a little troublesome, like a practice which has gone in a totally completely different manner. I’m usually not good at predicting what Magnus is doing. The best factor can be to ask him. He normally offers very sincere solutions. It’s a little bit of a joke in our staff, I typically say I’ve to go hearken to Magnus’s press conferences to hearken to what he thinks concerning the sport. Individuals say I might simply ask him, however that’s not how we do issues.
In all of your years that you’ve labored with Magnus, what has been probably the most spectacular factor you’ve seen him do?
The World Championship towards Fabiano Caruana… when he performed a attract sport 12, everybody was saying he was having a psychological breakdown. However he didn’t. He knew what he was doing and he didn’t care what anybody thought. However in his footwear, I’d have been extraordinarily nervous as a result of should you lose the playoff, Caruana is the world champion. I bear in mind once we met on the steps to go to the lounge, I used to be very curious which particular person was going to indicate up. He was in a superb temper. He was clear he was wanting ahead to enjoying chess. He was like ‘It’s going to be a enjoyable day’. That was very spectacular. It might be cheap to interrupt down at that stage. As a sportsperson you see folks crumble below nervousness when your identification is at stake.
Does he relish these conditions? When he’s below the gun and must win on demand?
I don’t know if he relishes it. However he tries. He’s failed some instances. When he gained the FIDE World Cup he was very pleased. It would sound unusual, however successful the world championship whenever you’re the overwhelming favorite towards only one opponent… he’s executed it many instances. He had by no means gained the World Cup the place you play 128 gamers. It’s important to win a whole lot of knockout matches. This additionally explains why the World Championship is one thing he give up enjoying. However the pleasure I felt from him after he gained the World Cup or from successful the FIDE World Fast and Blitz Championship in 2022 was extraordinary and one thing I didn’t anticipate.
Profitable World Championship matches with Vishy (Anand) felt nice, as a result of we by no means took it as a right. With Magnus sooner or later we took it as a right.
Nielsen says age and expertise have been the important thing variations between teaching Carlsen and Anand over time.
What’s it like working with Magnus Carlsen as in comparison with working with Viswanathan Anand?
They’re each pure abilities, intuitive geniuses quite than very concrete gamers. The large distinction was age; after I began working with Vishy, he was older then. He was on the high of his profession eager to maximise his possibilities of changing into the World Champion after which defending it. He was a really mature participant with way more expertise than myself. With Magnus, I’ve recognized him mainly from the pre-teenage age, we performed desk tennis and pc video games collectively. I did have enjoyable with Vishy and regarded him as virtually household sooner or later. However it was a relationship constructed on sporting ambition in a manner. As personalities and enjoying kinds, they’re possibly not too completely different. Maybe the massive distinction was not a lot them, however me. With Vishy, I used to be a younger participant with no teaching expertise when he took me in. I wished to work extremely onerous to form of pay again his belief. I used to be fully obsessive about the work I used to be doing for Vishy. However after I began working full-time with Magnus, I had gained 4 titles with Vishy. I had a bunch of expertise. However maybe much less ambition. That fitted maybe properly with Magnus in a manner.
You’re somebody who’s very outspoken about political points. However we don’t normally hear that with Magnus. After we take a look at somebody like Garry Kasparov, who turned an icon for his political stance away from the board. Does Magnus ever discuss eager to be larger than among the best gamers on the earth in historical past?
It doesn’t look like that. Magnus does it together with his chess. It’s not like he’s not opinionated. However on this subject of politics, when he was on a podcast with Lex Freidman, he did discuss it. Vishy and Magnus are considerably comparable in character. Kasparov could be very completely different. He’s so filled with vitality, dominance and opinions in a manner. Don’t get me fallacious, Magnus and Vishy have opinions. However they don’t need to share them like that. I assume Magnus sees himself extra of an envoy for chess. He’s been doing issues like his Offerspill challenge. I actually love what Kasparov is doing, however he’s the exception quite than the rule. Magnus and Vishy are typical sportstars. I don’t suppose they’ve the want or obligation to alter the world. That’s their selection. Like Kasparov’s selection is professional, Magnus and Vishy’s selections are professional. Additionally, Kasparov’s (activism) occurred virtually after his profession ended. However I’d be shocked if Magnus goes on this path. I don’t know.
What was Magnus like rising up, as a toddler prodigy?
Sure, he was a toddler prodigy, however we should always not neglect that when he was 15, it was not clear that he was the no 1 in his age group. Sergey Karjakin was most likely larger rated, in World Youth occasions, he would find yourself after Ian Nepomniachtchi. At 17, it was clear (he was the very best). It was not immediately a given (in his youthful days that Magnus was going to be world champion). I believed I used to be hanging out with a gifted Norwegian man from a neighbouring nation and we had enjoyable. I had completely zero perception that this man would change into world champion. That he turned a world champion is sort of the understatement of his profession. I don’t suppose he’s surpassed Kasparov but. However simply the truth that there’s debate (on who’s the very best ever) is nice! It’s a professional debate. Kasparov was absurdly good.