Magnus Carlsen Takes Dig at Classical Chess, Calls it “More Like Science, Art”

Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen has stirred up controversy by criticizing Classical chess and praising the shorter form of the game as “pure sport”. After announcing that he will not take part in the 2021 World Chess Championship, Carlsen’s absence allowed India’s 18-year-old D Gukesh to become the youngest player to win the championship.

In a recent podcast on the Take Take Take app, Carlsen expressed his views on classical chess, calling it a less effective measure of determining the best player overall. He believes that faster forms of chess require a more well-rounded game and cover a wider range of skills compared to classical chess, which he considers forgiving and easy to mask deficiencies in one’s game.

The World Chess Championship between Ding Liren and Gukesh was tied at 6.5 each before Gukesh emerged as the winner due to a blunder by Ding in the final game. Despite criticism of the overall quality of the games by Carlsen and other top players like Hikaru Nakamura, Gukesh’s victory marked a significant moment in the chess world.

While Carlsen doesn’t compete for the classical world championship, he continues to dominate in rapid and blitz chess, holding multiple world titles in these formats. Gukesh, the new world champion, acknowledges Carlsen’s superiority and sees him as a motivating factor to strive for excellence in his own game.

The clash of opinions between Carlsen and Gukesh highlights the ongoing debate in the chess community about the different forms of the game and what truly defines the best player. As the chess world continues to evolve, players like Carlsen and Gukesh are pushing boundaries and challenging traditional norms in pursuit of greatness.