• Direct: everything about the coronavirus

"I have had a small cold for quite some time, but I have no reason to think it is connected to the coronavirus." Magnus Carlsen (Tønsberg, Norway; November 30, 1990) attends THE WORLD from Oslo. He lives near the center of the city, where he is confined.

The world is being hit by the coronavirus pandemic. How is the situation in Norway? And yours? My country was affected earlier than expected mainly due to tourists returning from skiing, infected abroad. When this became known, the authorities reacted quickly and it seems that they have the situation under control. I am spending a lot of time in the apartment. I also commented on the Candidates Tournament, until this one was suspended. With the world sport stopped, the Yekaterinburg Candidates Tournament started and lasted until the seventh round. What did you think that it was not suspended from the beginning? The organizers of the International Chess Federation faced a difficult choice. It is difficult to criticize the decision to start the tournament. Security measures were taken. Postponing the tournament from the start would also have had significant consequences for the players, for this ongoing cycle and possibly for subsequent ones, with all players waiting to compete for the title. Viewers from around the world appreciated that at least one major sporting event was taking place. I have read that stopping the tournament during the competition was already discussed with the players at the technical meeting before it started. They took a calculated risk. The bad luck was that travel restrictions in Russia were implemented on March 27. Can concern about a possible coronavirus infection condition a departure? [In Yekaterinburg the greeting became voluntary, if not with the elbow, there was an absence of the public, disinfectant gel throughout the room, the obligation to wash their hands before touching the pieces ...] With much at stake and in the best conditions, the chess games are already stressful. And, of course, the coronavirus situation makes it even more difficult and can affect players differently. On the other hand, mastering the situation is a sample of the character it takes to play this. Chess, due to its peculiarities, can it be a way out for this time of confinement? Of course. I think chess will prosper in these times, both to play online and as a family. With schools closed, perhaps many families have decided to take a board. I hope so! Do you remember those childhood days when your father taught you how to play chess at home? Sometimes I miss the days when it was just a hobby , without all the expectations and exposure of elite chess. One of my best memories remains when I won the Norwegian U-11 Championship. Was it easy to go from Lego pieces to chess pieces? Obviously not [laughs]. But I do think that activities such as building with Lego pieces, puzzles, or memorizing geographic facts helped me prepare to progress in chess. Next November I will be 30 years old. What remains for you to do in the chess world? How long do you think you'll be able to stay motivated? Finding motivation hasn't been a big problem for me this decade. And I don't think it will be in the immediate future. Much remains to be learned. Although in life things change and, suddenly, also the perspective. So you may not see it coming until it happens. Of course, keeping others in line is also something that motivates me. And to be considered the best player in history? That is not for me to judge. In any case, we will have to wait until I retire, or at least until I am well above the rest, before comparing my career with that of previous masters. How will you prepare for the World Cup scheduled for the end of the year if the next tournaments are canceled ? There will be more online activities.

This forcefulness has a reason. Carlsen will challenge the blockade with an elite online tournament in which he will face seven of the best chess players in the world. Broadcast by chess24.com beginning April 17, it has the largest online prize pool ever: $ 250,000.

He has always defended the value of artificial intelligence. How did your game change with computer programs like AlphaZero, the machine learning algorithm? Reviewing some of AlphaZero's initial games against another program like Stockfish was a great revelation and the first time I was fascinated by computer chess. You will see that most elite players have embraced some of the key trends, both in their preparation and their game. For example, the long-term potential of early pawn advancement. Can technology also be key to coping with crises like the coronavirus? I am not a medical expert, but clearly technology is the key to solving most challenges global that humans face. Do you think you have managed to get close to perfection? In classic chess I have played more than 120 games without losing [a figure that exceeded last January], and won many of them. It is something I am very proud of. The perfection? No. There will never be the perfect human player. Does losing humanize? Yes, I suppose it humanizes both in the eyes of others and of oneself. It still bothers me a lot to lose.

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