Image Source heute
“That is truly the agony of chess, particularly classical chess,” remarked Magnus Carlsen with a nostalgic smile during an interview with the official broadcast of Norway Chess, just moments after securing his seventh title at the Stavanger tournament. The world number one reflected on his public breakdown following his loss to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in round 6 of the tournament on Sunday, where the Norwegian had squandered a winning position and subsequently slammed the board in frustration, a moment that has since gone viral. However, Carlsen’s reference to the ‘pain of chess’ could also pertain to Gukesh, whose Friday began with the young player nurturing aspirations of clinching the title, as he was merely 0.5 points behind Carlsen in the standings. Unfortunately, the day concluded with Gukesh nearly in tears as he entered a car that whisked him away from the playing hall.
In one of the most intense days at Norway Chess — where the momentum shifted as rapidly as the weather changes its temperament in Stavanger — it was Carlsen who secured his seventh Norway Chess title, edging out Gukesh and Fabiano Caruana at the finish line. A draw against Arjun Erigaisi sufficed for the world number one to claim the title, while an emotional Gukesh fell to Caruana, resulting in him finishing third in the standings.
Carlsen has mentioned on several occasions his waning interest in the tournament following that ego-deflating defeat to Gukesh. However, it was only after winning the title on Friday that he revealed the extent of the impact it had on him. “My reaction did not merely end there (with slamming his fist). I was so disoriented that I had to leap out of the car on the way back and take several minutes to gather myself,” he stated.
He expressed that the pain he experienced after the defeat to Gukesh was the most intense emotion he had felt throughout the tournament. “Winning the tournament is more of a relief than anything else,” he added.
For those curious whether this was Carlsen’s final game in classical chess, he mentioned that he is “on the fence” regarding his decision to leave the most traditional format of the sport. “I don’t anticipate playing frequently, but I also cannot promise that I will never participate in a classical tournament again. I could return next year. I cannot be certain,” he stated. “At the very least, it’s reassuring to know that I can still compete. And it’s encouraging to see that, at least in certain aspects of the game, I can still outperform those who are aiming to take my place.”
(Newsroom staff only edited this story for style from a syndicated feed)
