An extended queue of followers has been ready about an hour on Friday to get into the enjoying corridor at Finansparken Bjergsted in Stavanger. They’re ready outdoors, as a result of at present the enjoying corridor is at full capability in the intervening time with not even standing room on the again accessible. 12 of the world’s greatest gamers — each by way of rankings and by way of achievements — are enjoying the ultimate spherical on the Norway Chess event. However clearly the milling followers are right here for a bit of the world’s greatest participant of this technology, Magnus Carlsen.
When Carlsen arrives on the enjoying enviornment, simply two minutes earlier than the beginning of his sport towards Arjun Erigaisi, there’s a commotion on the 20- metre stretch between his automotive and the doorway of the Finansparken Bjergsted. Commotions on the streets are unusual in Norway. However having a chess participant of Carlsen’s calibre rising from a inhabitants of 5 million is much more unusual. Carlsen, who has developed a racewalker’s purposeful gait through the years, is 120 seconds away from being late for a sport that can determine who will win what could possibly be the final classical event of Carlsen’s profession. However Carlsen is in no hurry. Not at present. He smiles for each {photograph} seeker. He scribbles on each chess board younger followers maintain in entrance of him. Behind him, arrives Gukesh Dommaraju, the 19-year-old occupier of the world champion’s throne that Carlsen wilfully abdicated two years in the past after falling out of affection with the method of making ready — after which enjoying — the hardest problem within the sport. Gukesh power-walks into the enjoying corridor previous the prolonged chess boards and cellphone cameras pointed at him with out making a single eye contact. His eyes are skilled on the duty forward: beating Fabiano Caruana within the last sport and snatching the Norway Chess title from below the Norwegian’s nostril.
It was a sport between the 2 earlier this week that made the remainder of the world sit up and take discover, particularly after Carlsen had slammed his fist on the chess board after dropping to Gukesh for the primary time in his profession. The loss towards Gukesh, Carlsen mentioned on Thursday after surging into event standings lead, would uninteresting the lustre of one other title at Norway Chess. Proper after the loss to Gukesh, Carlsen had indicated that he would take a protracted laborious have a look at enjoying classical chess sooner or later. The Norway Chess, which has been intricately linked with the rise of Carlsen for the previous 13 years, is at the moment the one classical chess occasion he performs in. However quickly even that could possibly be over.
Which explains why chess followers have arrived from in every single place — even from as distant as Bengaluru — to catch a glimpse of Carlsen. There’s a digicam crew readily available too, taking pictures a documentary. However for the person in the midst of the melee, the title win can be a victory with a blemish.
Right here’s #MagnusCarlsen making an look for last spherical at #NorwayChess. Obliging autograph hunters, and selfie seekers though there’s 2 minutes left for sport time https://t.co/2bnlH7k3pa pic.twitter.com/y28oQ9ItoC
— Amit Kamath (@jestalt) June 6, 2025
“It might have meant quite a bit to me if I had completed off the sport towards Gukesh after which performed a extremely good event. Now no matter what occurs it might type of like stumbling right into a win. There’s a superb likelihood that I don’t win the event, nevertheless it truthfully wouldn’t make that huge of a distinction to me. The dream of enjoying a extremely good event burst with that sport (towards Gukesh). In fact I wish to win, nevertheless it’s not that necessary,” Carlsen instructed Chess24 after beating Caruana.
“I do know that I can play (properly). There isn’t a doubt about that. I simply needed a rating that displays the truth that I feel I’m nonetheless considerably higher at chess and since I couldn’t obtain that then doubtlessly profitable the event wouldn’t wouldn’t imply as a lot,” he shrugged along with his trademark nonchalance that borders on cocky conceitedness.
“He’s the identical cocky younger man (he was a few years in the past). I can say cocky younger man, as a result of he’s not likely (cocky or conceited). I used to joke that in our household, conceitedness just isn’t unfavourable,” says Magnus’ father Henrik, who has been the closest confidant to the world no 1 over the previous three many years. “You probably have earned it, it’s okay. When Magnus is being barely conceited, it’s as a result of he’s earned it. He’s not making an attempt to placed on a present or something. He has a sure stage of confidence. That may come throughout as conceitedness.”
Henrik says that nowadays his son doesn’t actually put together for tournaments like he used to. He prefers enjoying to making ready, which is why he loves Freestyle Chess. It’s not unusual to identify Carlsen and his long-time coach Peter Heine Nielsen leaving the gamers’ resort within the mornings with a set of golf golf equipment to spend hours on the golf green. He’s accomplished that earlier than each video games towards Gukesh at Norway Chess, he’s accomplished that earlier than the ultimate spherical as properly. He’s additionally very concerned in different sports activities, just a few years again he was on the high on the planet within the soccer Fantasy Premier League rankings. At breakfast, he will be noticed having fun with an NBA sport.
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Ask Henrik what his son at the moment enjoys about chess, and the senior Carlsen says: “He’s a chess fan. He loves chess, enjoying it, the historical past of chess, and the surroundings. He has his legacy from chess. He makes his cash from chess. Though it’s nonetheless type of a passion, which turned out to be profitable and one thing he might reside off. Chess is mainly the whole lot to him as an id. He’s additionally grateful to chess.”
To these questioning if Carlsen will stroll away from the game utterly, Henrik has some solace to supply: “You possibly can see he goes on-line to play, even throughout a event like this. Typically he’ll go at evening and play Titled Tuesday or comparable, as a result of he’s a chess participant. That’s his ardour and passion, no matter you want. The whole lot. Chess is his life, mainly. So he’s not accomplished but.”
(The author is in Stavanger on the invitation of Norway Chess. Matches are live-streamed on Sony LIV)
