[THREAD] Excellent 1 hour interview with Carlsen by @AskildB & @OdinSjakk for NRK where the World Champ, among other things, speaks about 2018 WC match, performances in 2019, his unbeaten streak, Candidates 2020, Fischer, Norwegian chess the #FRchess WC etc. Highlights here. /1
@AskildB @OdinSjakk The interview was conducted before the tournament at Isle of Man. Asked how he is doing since their last interview before the 2018 WC match, Carlsen jokes: "My last tournament went pretty badly [STL Rapid & Blitz], so I've forgotten everything that went well!" /2
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "It's a very different situation now that I've had such a good year. Before the WC match, I didn't quite know what to believe. I probably felt already then that I was a bit on the right track, but I didn't manage to show it during the match."
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@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "I thought the WC match was quite a positive experience. I wasn't that nervous. It went more or less well. There was a lot of excitement, but I didn't experience the ups and downs as there were no decisive games." /4
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Asked whether he at any point that he would lose the match, Carlsen says: "There is no doubt that I felt Caruana was really good. Before the match, I couldn't be sure that I would win. But I never had the big fear that it would go wrong, until maybe the 10th game." /5
@AskildB @OdinSjakk "In G8 I had a really bad position, but I remember I was just focused on surviving and didn't think about consequences. But in G10 I remember it was a very complicated position, not necessarily bad for me, but I was exhausted. It was very difficult. I was shaken afterwards." /6
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "That particular game, I probably had a bit of the existential fear. But except for that, it was quite good." /7
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen talks about the playoff game where he spent 8-9 minutes on one move, and explains that he thinks he can afford so spend 10 minute on one move in a 25+10 game. "I ended up making a poor decision, but I could play the next few moves pretty quickly." /8
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "Even though I messed up a pretty big advantage in the first game to a draw before I won, I was never particularly afraid that it would go wrong [in the match]. It went in one way easier in the rapid for me to feel any fear. I was not particularly nervous. " /9
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen says his experience in the playoff with Karjakin helped him, but thinks the main thing was that he just felt good that day. "Both days I played the playoff, I just felt really good and they were my best days in the championship. That's so important." /10
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen "In the rapid playoff vs Ding, it was just tough from the start. It was also a really strong opponent, but not so strong that I would lose entirely without a fight as I did. It as so much to say. I had that feeling before both my rapid playoffs that it can't go wrong."/11
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen talks about the World ranking and the importance of keeping his #1 spot before the WC match, like the Duda-Caruana game in the Bundesliga that ended in a draw and securing the #1. /12
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "It was clear that there was pure luck that secured me remaining #1. To say I deserved it, is to go a bit far considering Caruana had a much better year than me. Maybe it meant something by the start of the match, that he felt he was so close but not close enough." /13
@AskildB @OdinSjakk "I've been the World #1 for so many years. I don't want to lose that even though I don't play particularly well. I am very happy that I kept it and that I proved what I knew that I could do all the time. That I am considerably better than the rest when I perform my best." /14
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen is asked about the reasons behind his incredible performances in 2019, that has led to him winning 7 tournaments: "These things are always complex thing. I've been at a good place in life. Very calm." /15
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen says he feels that he had "a mental surplus", also on opening ideas that had worked well. "Maybe I lack ideas now, but it has worked enormously well, especially with white. I play more theoretical, more 1.d4 and 1.c4 than 1.e4. It worked enormously well." /16
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "It has probably gone too far in that direction, that I I've ended up playing too theoretical and too forcing and then suffered a bit when I didn't get good positions from the opening. There's always a balancing there, but it's been a big success." /17
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "I've still had some luck this year, that the tournament turned around my way. But it's like when you are doing well you also have some luck. Just the fact that I haven't lost helps my confidence enormously, even though I know sometimes it went a bit wrong." /18
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Asked about what he means by "a good place in life", Carlsen says: "I made a decision after the WC match that I wanted to play more. I wanted to travel and play more, to get back to the level I thought I could be at. That worked really well for me. " /19
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen: "Earlier there have been times when I've been tired of tourmaments, but now I am excited every time I am going play. It's been a really good year in all ways." /20
@AskildB @OdinSjakk Carlsen, asked about him changing usernames on @lichess, from "DrDrunkenstein" to "DrNykterstein" ("nykter" = sober in Norwegian), leading to some amusement: "I won't exactly say that I've been an alcoholic!" he begins. /21
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen: "I have never really been drinking much, just sometimes in weekends. But I realized this year that if I am going to play and travel so much, I have to get my priorities straight. I have to say that has been a success, even though I've become more boring on parties" /22
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen, still speaking about alcohol, says he likes to reach his goals, and in this particular case "The goal is moderation. To be able to have fun without waking up in a ditch!" /23
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen speaks about his amazing Zagreb performance & his ability to "switch off" despite Norwegian chess society being in turmoil due to his role with the Kindred deal. "There were many factors: Nice city, climate was good, my form was great and I prepared well." /24
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen made headlines when he created Norway's biggest chess club, offering free memberships openly saying he wanted enough votes so the congress would approve the deal with gambling giant Kindred. The controversial deal was eventually turned down by the congress /25
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen was accused of "a coup", as he personally paid for more than 1000 members, an amount that cost him up to €50,000: "I won't call it a coup myself. But I understand that people used that word." /26
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen: "I am used to say my opinion and to make decisions that not everyone like as much. It was not a problem for me that it came all back to me." /27
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen speaking about the creation of his new club: "I underestimated how much resistance I would get. And the extent our motives would be doubted. It was hard to avoid." /28
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen says that some of the people in Norway who heavily criticized him for his actions, were less harsh when he met them a few days later in Larvik: "Maybe they thought I didn't know who they were, but in that case they are wrong." /29
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Some of the people Carlsen has been closest to during his career, were also the ones who criticized him the most. Carlsen says his sympathy was with the up and coming talents rather than the ones he thinks wouldn't be affected by the deal. /30
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen: "Some people had too much opinion about it than they should have. I understand there is a member democracy, but people play chess for completely different reasons. But at some point, I felt they should've showed more ambition than they did." /31
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen says he thinks that it would be such a good deal for young talents, and that people who wouldn't be affected by the deal spoke too strongly against it. /32
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen says he wants more resources for young talents, to make them become professionals like him. "I already knew well before I finished high-school that I would do this full-time. For most it's not like that. You have to work, work, work. Then maybe you can make it." /33
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen says he thinks Norway could become among the world's best chess countries, despite a population of only 5,4 million. "It's more than enough, if the recruitment is good enough. You can have 4-5 top 100 players if they all focus on chess." /34
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen talks about how India have been able to get many of the best young players in the world just because they have focused so much on chess: "They have gone from almost being a non-chess nation to get something like 7 players among the 10 best under 14 years." /35
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen says he thinks the potential in Norway is huge, and that this was a missed opportunity to increase recruitment: "I hold no grudges, as this is not about me. I will keep working for Norwegian chess, but my relationship with the federation have clearly become worse." /36
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess Carlsen talks about his new club @OfferspillSK, his new members @GMJSChr & @aryan_tari and says they want to fight among the best teams in Europe. "We have had interest from foreign grandmasters who want to join. There will be interesting names, some top young players." /37
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen talks about what went wrong in #STLRapidBlitz: "I lacked some energy. But it shouldn't go this wrong anyway. I was a bit apathic and just wanted it to end. It continued a bit into the classical part." /38
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "It would've been easier if I had seen that my opponents had a much higher level than normal. But they took as many points as in Paris a few weeks earlier. It was a bit embarassing to play so much worse than I am capable of." /39
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "It was embarassing for a while, but at some point I stopped caring because it was so silly to play and expect to blunder all the time." /40
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen talks about how he has learned that things can change very quickly after some good tournaments: "It can fall like a house of cards." /41
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "I know how lucky I've been that things have gone so well now. I absolutely don't take that for granted." /42
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen speaks about his incredible unbeaten streak: "It's clearly the wrong focus, but I think about while in St Louis. It made things easier when I didn't win any games. I thought as long as I don't lose, I have one goal to play for." /43
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari "To be completely honest, this year I haven't played like a guy who has tried to avoid losing. I have played aggressively with white and black. That's the best way to avoid losing, to play your own game and to not be afraid to take chances." /44
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen agrees that he has been playing more fun chess lately, and says it's because he has gotten more interesting positions. "Playing style has a lot to do with the positions you get from the opening. With black I've gotten positions where I can counter-attack." /45
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "With white I have played aggressively. When you get these positions, it changes your mindset and you think more about approaching more aggressive and exciting possibilities." /46
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "This is the kind of chess most want to play, where you keep playing aggressively for the initiative. The problem is that it's not so easy to get these kind of positions. If you don't get interesting positions, you often end up with a fight to get *something*" /47
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "I understand well it's not as fun to follow games with tiny advantages, even though that can be interesting to watch and play." /48
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen confirms he'll play in World Rapid & Blitz "regardless of location" and that it's "embarassing to have dropped so many rating points" in the speed chess. /49
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen starts to laugh, clearly not happy, when confronted with his current World #5 ranking in blitz: "It's not good at all. It's difficult to be at the top all the time, but I can't accept 5th." /50
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen says he doesn't think losing the #1 spot in blitz is as big deal: "If it had been in classical, it would be an existential crisis! But this I can't accept." /51
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen says he is looking forward to the #FRChess World Championship and he thinks it's somewhat refreshing to play without thinking about all the opening theory. /52
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen on Fischer: "He is definitely among the greatest, but he doesn't match up with Kasparov nor Karpov, at least in modern times. Culturally he was enormous, especially because of how big his match with Spassky was. The 20 wins in a row & twice 6-0 in the Candidates." /53
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen also thinks it was "extremely impressive" how Fischer managed to beat the Soviet with simple means: "But persoally I rank Kasparov higher." /54
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen says he thinks openings are really difficult in Fischer-Random: "You don't have the same guidelines as in normal chess. In one structure one piece can be totally mis-placed. It's challenging." /55
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen says the positions in Fischer-Random he hates the most, are the ones with the queen on a1. /56
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen on facing So, Caruana & Nepomniachtchi in #FRchess: "There are no real surprises. I would perhaps have expected Nakamura to make it, but to beat Caruana is really, really tough. " /57
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "Nepomniachtchi is really fast in classical, who obviously has a good feel for the game. It's not surprising he would be good in Fischer-Random, especially as it's a slightly faster time control." /58
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen: "So is not a very schooled type, obviously extremely talented but maybe had a slight mental block in classical lately, even though he did well in Zagreb. He isn't getting out his potential, but he seems more free in FR, so it doesn't surprise me." /59
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Asked about how it would be to play Caruana in yet another WC final, Carlsen grins: "It would probably be more fun for me than for him!" /60
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen says he would rate a WC title in #FRchess highly: "It has become an even bigger thing this year. The Rapid & Blitz WC wasn't a big deal in the beginning either, but now all the best players take part and become more prestigeous than many other events." /61
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen talks about the Candidates in 2020, and unsurprisingly mentions Caruana and Ding as the clear favourites: "You never know what will happen in a Candidates tournament, but if I had to make a bet, I'd take those two against the rest of the field." /62
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen doesn't believe Radjabov will skip Candidates, but totally understand he was tired after the World Cup. "But I don't see him as someone who can win enough games to win the tournament." /63
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari Carlsen still rates Caruana as the favourite to win Candidates and the one who can give him the toughest fight in another WC match: "But things are going way too well for me to be concerned about the WC match now." /64
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari All done. Translations are not perfect, but should be accurate enough to get the most of it. For those who speak Norwegian, the interview is awailable in full here: radio.nrk.no/program/MSPO74…
@AskildB @OdinSjakk @lichess @OfferspillSK @GMJSChr @aryan_tari This should obviously read "...I thought about this while in St. Louis", in case that wasn't clear.
