‘Anand is tough to beat’

 This year Magnus Carlsen has been playing chess like a man possessed. Not only is the prodigious Norwegian the unofficial World No 2 but he is also on the verge of attaining a 2800 Elo rating, considered to be holy grail of chess. Fresh from his resounding victory at the Aerosvit tournament this week, the 17-year-old tells Dhananjay Khadilkar about what it means to be a teenage Super Grandmaster…

Your performance has been remarkable this year. How have you managed to be so consistent?
I do feel that I have made progress also over the last six months. It might have helped that I tend to be extra motivated when I need to win to catch the leaders, while at the same time I’ve managed not to collapse after a good start. It is a bit of a coincidence that all my performances has been at such high level this year and you should of course expect more ups and downs in the time to come.

When can we expect you to cross the 2800 mark?
I’m trying to focus on one tournament at the time and within a tournament at one game at the time without the distraction of rating performance or rating numbers. Unofficially, I’m supposedly at 2792 right now, although I may get 2775 on the July unless Aerosvit is included.

If someone had predicted this half year ago, I would have considered it unrealistic. I have definitely reached any goals for 2008 that I had prior to 2008. Of course, it would be great to cross the 2800 hurdle. It does look feasible but it is hard to predict whether it will happen.

Did you envisage such a rapid growth when you shot to fame at 13?
I did not really have any long term ambitions at the time. Winning Coros C and becoming a GM at 13 was such a great experience that I did not immediately start to plan further ahead.

You mentioned that World Championship was less important than crossing the 2800 mark. Could you please elaborate?
Well, the World Championship involves such long cycles and right now it’s not commensurate with my emphasis on individual games and tournaments. The 2800 hurdle is maybe not as far away.

Do you miss a normal teenager’s carefree lifestyle?
Well, becoming a GM at 13, I did not spend much of my teen’s chasing GM norms. When at home I do go to school but also have time to be with friends. I’ve got used to a lot of attention from media and turn down many of the inquiries. Frankly, I’m used to be a chess player, and it is hard to image what an alternative lifestyle would be like.

However, I don’t think my lifestyle is that different from other teenagers. I play some football and spend time with friends in addition to being a frequent user of internet. Generally I do not consider time spent on chess at home as work, although of course I do benefit from the time spent playing online blitz games, watching ongoing tournaments or reading chess magazines and sometimes chess books.

Isn’t it amazing that by 17, you had already played and, in some case, beaten some of the best chess players of all time?
My progress has been gradual and now it feels rather natural to play against the best in the world. I think chess players in general do not put much emphasis on age, the important thing is abilities and chess understanding.

Do you idolise any sporting individuals?
In chess, I try to learn from all the other top players, both present and former champions. I like to watch sport on television; winter sports, football and other ball games. Generally I’m objective and I try to enjoy the games and performances without having favourites.

It is fascinating to read your father’s blog about your chess life. How much of an influence and help has your father been to you?
Well, he has encouraged me and allowed me to play a lot of tournaments. He has also been supportive in taking care of practical things communicating with organisers and media and when accompanying me to tournaments. It helps that he is interested in chess although at a different level purely chess wise.

Who has been your toughest competitor? Someone you are extra careful about…
In my view, Anand and Kramnik are still somewhat stronger than other top players and they are formidable opponents. I’ve got a much worse score against Anand than Kramnik, but taking into account the relatively few games played this may be a bit of a coincidence.

How do seasoned opponents react when they see a 17-year-old playing against them?
In the past, I think some opponents were a bit intimidated by my young age as it might have implied that I had some extreme strengths compensating for inexperience. Lately, I don’t think the other top players put that much emphasis on age. But some of them might be a bit scared by my recent results.