Picture courtesy of ChessBase
Which one of these young phenoms will most likely become World Champion? Which one will break 2800 first?
– Radjabov
– Karjakin
– Carlsen
– Navara
– Another choice 
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
Future world champions?
My vote goes for Carlsen. He has the guts and the will that it takes to win. In his games, he always goes for the win.
I would say Carlsen without a doubt, provided that he stays motivated and focussed, and doesn’t get sidetracked with the various distractions out there that have swayed numerous prodigies in times passed — not just in chess, of course. I think his talent and natural ability is astounding, and he is obviously well mentored, and if it is matched by his hunger to win (which does seem to be the case) then the world is his oyster. However, I think Karjakin for one will not be far behind him.
Maybe Negi? Asa norwegian I doubt Carlsen will be WC. There is no public or financial interest for chess here. Negi and Karjakin has far better support, and they are extremely dedicated. Magnus is a “normal” school boy, who spends more time with football, school, and so one than chess. His talent, however, is totally outstanding. Imagine him getting same training as Kasparov, or had the same extreme obsession as Fischer!
Carlsen will be WC and 2850+.
Karjajin will be 2800 also.
In many sports they say that offense wins games but defense wins championships. This is true also in chess. Carlsen is very talented it is true, but his style may be too risky now to win matches at the top. Karjarkin is taking a slightly less meteoric rise to the top (but still so quickly and so young!), but is in my opinion developing a better “all around” game. Of course there are no guarantees. Great names like Keres and Korchnoi never got to be world champion.
Boris Shakhmatov
Chessology Blog
it will depend on the format of future world championship matches
knock out ?
round robin ?
duel ?
Kramnik is 31 years old, Topalov is 31 years old … if format will be duel (on 24 matches or so) – NONE of the mentioned prodigies – will ever earn the title of a chess world champion like Lasker, Capablanca, Botvinnik or Garri “Weinstein” Kasparov did.
if the format will be knock out or round robin – each of the enumerated “dr. chip” made talents will be – sooner or later – FIDE chess champion (it is very important to set the shortcut “FIDE” in front of the title).
the first to break “2800” will be Timour Radjabov, i guess, he is the most “complete” player, most talented is, on my opinion, Karjakin… another great “K”
Navara reminds me of Carl Schlechter – he appeares tender, ephemeral, aureate – but will die by starvation (hopefully not!!!)
and Magnus Carlsen? lot’s of his “master pieces” have been won by pure LUCK … (maybe his drinking bottle is prepared with some Mikhail Tal – pheromone … – just kidding) …) – he made the 2700 recently (did he?)- he will make the 2900 – but his chess is not inspiring, it is “computer chess” played by a human computer kid – he is the the human answer to deep blue and deep thought … well prepared by some “GM – slaves” (e.g. Peter Heine-Nielsen)- playing football, listen to school teachers and learning the art of fishing …
oh my god – how i wish that he will get through it …
greetings from the outer space – your Vohaul
“but his chess is not inspiring, it is “computer chess” played by a human computer kid”
That’s the quote of the day. If you don’t find Carlsen’s chess brilliant I doubt you find any person’s chess brilliant.
I vote for Magnus.
I am glad that Navara replaced in your list Nakamura and Harikrishna and I hope it is not just temporary, even if 6 years younger Carlsen is already more experienced.
@anonymous 12.01 – a simple question – with hopefully a simple answer – did ‘u ever put a critical “Carlson game” position to the “deep analysis” function of Fritz and Co. ? (e.g. Biel – against Moro – two wins! or olympiad against Naiditsch, also a win…)
i realized it saucer-eyed, brain teased and with full respect to a silicon like calculating ability.
but heaven forbid: i’d never adore a 16 year old boy, being pretty successful in prefering a single starting position, out of 960 possibilities, playing a kidding, game … moving wooden bricks, in two colors, around a 64 fielded tessellated board (hehe).
your’s Vohaul (chess AMATEUR… ^^)
“but his chess is not inspiring, it is “computer chess” played by a human computer kid”
Take a look at yesterday’s video at chesslecture.com He crushed “Moro” in a beautiful way. Even Kasparov was extremely impressed by this game. He let Moro be 2 pawns up, and which comp does that? If that chess does not inspire you, I think chess is not what you should spend more time on. Only a genius can play like this at 15.
I’ll take Radjabov. He seems mature, fully developed, and already has had some super-tournament experience that Carlsen and Karjakin simply can’t compare with.
Awfulhangover,
Do you really believe those stories that Carlsen has ‘normal’ school life with lots of football?
That sounds like gamesmanship. I think he is as intensively trained and full time at chess as anyone in the world of that age.
Well, Carlsen missed the first rounds in the Turin olympics just because of exams in school. So yeah, he’s a normal boy that attends school and he likes football and stuff.
@awfulhangover – hmmm – i can not see this inspiring video because i don’t have a membership – i analyzed the two carlsen – moro games at biel by myself – so, i don’t know, which game was analyzed, but i suppose it was game number one … in my eyes 30… d2?! played by Moro is dubious, much better is 30…rxe5 31.qxe5 nd5 …
by the way – NO – i’ll spent further time on chess – i won’t retreat! even if a 15 year old boy has hundredes of rating points more than i have. Moreover, i wallow in pleasure to find no brilliancy, but pure luck, in his wins … 🙂 – and by the way – analyzing chess games of grandmasters by my own, and by the aid of my software – helps me to improve …
sincerly, Vohaul
I vote 4 Carlsen, even though he is from Norway?!
Both Carlsen and Karjakin will be world champs.
They will exchange each other on the throne more than for a one time.
As for the Carlsen,he is going to be the last human to beat Computer engine WC.
And that’s going to happen before Carlsen turns hi 20.
I root for Mamedyarov.
I’m Norwegian and obviously biased. Magnus has had a fantastic progress and I see no reason that it should stop. However, it cannot be expected that he will progress as fast as he has, he will run into trouble as he is now passing 2700 and joins the club with the very best.
It might be interesting for some people to know the fact that chess is a very small sport in Norway. There is little interest from the media (at least before Carlsen turned up), and training facilities, expertise and funding is poor. Add this to the fact that Magnus Carlsen did not start serious chess training before he was about 8(?) years old (or something similar). To become the youngest grandmaster in the world and beat all the talents from chess countries in the former Soviet republic, is just unbelievable! His talent must be the greatest one has seen since Fischer. If he can make it to world champion is a different matter.
“I think he is as intensively trained and full time at chess as anyone in the world of that age.”
He spends a great deal of time on chess, but “intensively trained” is just nonsense. He’s mainly his own trainer, despite what lots of ppl prefer to believe.
Also the comment about “GM-slaves” above has nothing to do with reality. Magnus’ knowledge is pretty big, but not deep, as most of it he’s got by reading chess books on his own. His memory is just excellent (much better than his calculating abilities), and so he can read up on theory incredibly fast (faster than most top level GMs).
But I’m happy as long ppl think “super trainers” are to be credited for Magnus’ success so far. His most important trainer so far, is a little known Norwegian FM who trained Magnus once a week for less than a year when Magnus was 9-10. For the last two years he’s had no coach/trainer, only with infrequent “sparring” against Agdestein and Nielsen. Go figure.
But WC? Maybe, if he keeps enjoying chess and keeps up skiing and football and basically enjoys life like today.
My vote goes for Magnus Carlsen! Ofcourse the critical for all young players are that they have to try and stay focused and keep up the hard work. I vote for Magnus because he wants to win every match so bad, then again, who doesn’t but I think that to be a World Chapion you have to have: 1) the devotion
2) the passion
3) guts
4) a bit of luck
5) and a hole lot of other resons, but I think Magnus have all these qualities, so, Magnus: All good lucks to you. You’re moving upwards for the moment, so it won’t take long till you’re over 2800! You’ve now won NM, you’ve played remis against Kasparov the 1. time and these are just 2 out of your achivements!
I’m from Norway, and logically I hope Magnus Carlsen will be the future world champion. But – he has already showed the world what he’s made of (his results towards the best player’s in the world). This experience will sure come in handy if he one day will sit at the WC-table. He’s also a young man with modesty and honour. May he exceed and progress towards the WC-title! : )
Radjabov!
He is ahead of all his rivals (similar age or a couple of years older/younger) in the FIDE rankings.
He is significantly younger than ALL the players rated higher than him.
His steady year-on-year improvement continues without serious setbacks.
He appears to be the most focussed and professional in his approach.
His style is sound yet aggressive.
He has the incredible will-to-win of a FIscher or Kasparov.
To Vohaul,
You may be right if you pick out one or two games. Hell, I could do the same to belittle the accomplishments of Fischer(easily) and even Kasparov!
The point is that he has many times revealed his genious and I think Radjabov or Carlsen will take the throne. If Carlsen keeps improving at the new (2700) level, I think we might have another historical WC in our time.
I think your comments smell like petty jealousy. But this is a deamon within you which makes you – instead of arguing who is most talented – try to put down a brilliant young man who makes your fragile ego suffer when it faces greatness.
CarJackinn and Navara!