Chess champ keeps his cool
Monday January 28 2008
http://www.aftenposten.no/english/sports/article2222983.ece
Magnus Carlsen, Norway’s teenaged chess whiz, is his game’s equivalent of a rock star. As fans swarmed around him in the Netherlands on Sunday, hoping for an autograph or photo, Carlsen showed that it hasn’t gone to his head.
“It’s okay,” was all he had to say about the buzz that surrounded him after he wound up among the world’s top 10 chess players over the weekend. He shared first place in the prestigious Corus tournament in the Netherlands, after the world’s top two players ended in a tie.
“I’m satisfied with the tournament, but not with the last part,” he told Aftenposten when it was all over. On the other hand, he said, the match on Sunday was the best he’d ever played.
He was ranked 13th in the world before Corus and now is probably ninth, said his father after Carlsen shared first-place honors with Levron Aronian. Carlsen has long been ranked the world’s best junior chess player (those under age 21) and he’s the Nordic country’s strongest chess player by a wide margin.
The 17-year-old Carlsen, who travels around 200 days a year, spent two weeks at the tournament in the Netherlands and was due to return to Norway’s special high school for top athletes and players (topp idrettsgymnaset) where he studies chess. But he’ll soon be traveling to Mexico and Spain for another major tournament.
Here is the full story.
His games were breath taking. He’s the new Bobby Fischer.
This kid is awesome. I cant wait to see what he will be like at his peak. Not only is he an amazing player but hes very likable too. Everybody seems to love this guy.
When Bobby Fischer was playing at his peak it took a strong GM to explain his games to us patzers. When Magnus hits his peak, and then he may even be greater than Fischer, he will not be able to beat the average PC with a strong chess engine. Because of that will he ever get the respect that someone like Fischer got before the age of the silicon champs?
Article made a mistake. Carlsen has only recently become the top junior after Radjabov left the list. Oh well.
Magnus must be cloned for the army of world take over!
An army of Supermen!
Magnus uber alles!