Kasparov and Carlsen team up
A dream team has come true: one of the best players that ever lived is working with the biggest talent in chess at the moment. Garry Kasparov has started coaching Magnus Carlsen. This was made public today in the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang.
"In complete secrecy chess star Magnus Carlsen, 18, has engaged the history's greatest chess player, Garry Kasparov, as a personal trainer. The goal is to make the Norwegian, who currently ranks as the fourth-best chess player in the world, the world's best during the course of the coming year. In addition, Magnus Carlsen of Lommedalen will be built up to become the strongest brand in international chess."
This is how Verdens Gang's article of today starts - it was translated by Henrik Carlsen for Chessbase. We also learn that the collaboration has been under way for six months already, and that it's initially intended to last throughout the coming year, with a possibility of extension.
Not surprisingly, Magnus is looking forward to working with Kasparov:
"He has an extreme capacity for work, extreme determination to win and extreme perfectionism," said Carlsen. "Now I hope to be get more of these properties for myself. The goal is to become number one in the world."
18-year-old Magnus Carlsen is currently the world's number four player, rated 2772. In a rapid tournament in Reykjavík, Iceland in March 2004, Carlsen achieved one draw against Kasparov while losing the second. Only a month later Carlsen became a grandmaster at the age of 13 years, 4 months, and 27 days.
Despite his rapid rise to the absolute world top, until recently Carlsen wasn't sure if he wanted to become a professional chess player. The news of today suggests that he has made that decision, and that his ambition is stronger than ever.
Garry Kasparov (46), widely regarded as one of the the greatest chess players of all time, retired from chess on March 10th, 2005, after the last round of Linares. Since then he's been foremost a political activist and one of the key figures behind The Other Russia, a coalition which opposes Putin's and Medvedev's government.
But Kasparov is still very active as a chess writer and has been closely watching the top events ever since. In two weeks from now, he will play his first relatively serious chess games since his retirement, against his former rival Anatoly Karpov. It will be an exhibition match taking place September 21-24 in Valencia, Spain and consists of four rapid and eight blitz games. A second match has also been announced, to be held December 11-13 in Paris, France. By becoming Magnus Carlsen's coach, Kasparov stengthens his ties with the chess world even further.
Founder and editor-in-chief of ChessVibes.com, Peter is responsible for most of the chess news and tournament reports. Often visiting top events, he also provides photos and videos for the site. He's a 1.e4 player himself, likes Thai food and the Stones.
Comments
Mr Wii
2 years 5 months ago
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Amazing stuff, this is the material of true champions! You will win the World Championship, Carlsen, it is only a matter of time...
For the record, Carlsen is now the unofficial no.3 in the world (equal with Kramnik though), since Aronian lost the first round in Bilbao.
Faberov
2 years 5 months ago
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Im sorry for Karjakin... great player, but had the curse of beign born at the same era of such a huge talent...
mihajovics
2 years 5 months ago
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I thought Carlsen would be the next Bobby Fischer, the "self-taught" genius who exceeds Kasparov and everybody else before... So in this sense I'm kind of disappointed. But what really bothers me is that he "will be built up to become the strongest brand in international chess." Built up?! What is he, a ****ing product?! Or an experimental project?! Come on! Let him just be, give him a break! If he in the meanwhile does become "the strongest brand", fantastic, great for chess. But to "make" one?! That just... Sounds horrible...
Yury
2 years 5 months ago
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Kasparov can teach Carlsen a lot! He has way more experience. Seems like it would be another interesting chess year.
Loser
2 years 5 months ago
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Clever move by Kasparov. He is probably thinking about a comeback, and while making it look like he is training Magnus, it's actually the other way around. And; he's getting paid for it! :p
Frank
2 years 5 months ago
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A cover up for his comeback?
Thomas
2 years 5 months ago
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@Frank: not necessarily a comeback as a player. For example, Dokhoian hasn't played any rated games in the last 10 years ... . It is not without irony that two things happened roughly simultaneously:
1) Karjakin chose to work with Dokhoian, Kasparov's former coach, to improve his chances to become world champion. This required a controversial, or controversially discussed federation switch - Dokhoian has a contract with the Russian federation and is not allowed to work with foreigners.
2) Carlsen engaged Kasparov as his personal trainer with the goal of becoming world champion (or "world's best" as the article says). Kasparov has no obligation towards the Russian federation. And now he enters into competition with both Dokhoian and the Russian federation ... .
WGIFM
2 years 5 months ago
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Great piece of news! However, from now on people will search Kasparov's ideas in Carlsen's games. This might not be easy for Carlsen, who is actually a full blown player on his own right.
ceann
2 years 5 months ago
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the ***deleted*** must have backers with deep pockets to tempt the King to train him. I have my doubts about him being the top player anytime soon though...after all he is no Kasparov.
evanhaut
2 years 5 months ago
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@WGIFM
I don't think the idea will stick for longer than a couple of days. Kasparov too was primarily a student to Botvinnik's, but that didn't make people go all 'it's because he gets it from Botvinnik'. It's he who is behind the board that pushes the pieces!
Now that I am thinking about it; quite freightening how Magnus managed to hold his back without such an experienced coach for such a long time.
Yes them times are changing..
T. Goto
2 years 5 months ago
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I think it is good that Carlsen works with Kasparov now; he is better developed both as a human being as well as a chess player. He will, no doubt, learn tremendously from Kasparov, but he will hold his own judgment. It seems that this is a project based on mutual respects. Anyhow, this is a great news!
As fr Karajakin, having such an opponent only helps him. He is talented, determined, and purposeful, which are attributes Carlsen shares with him. They will be great together, as well as against each other, in coming days.
Coco Loco
2 years 5 months ago
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I think a couple of years ago Carlsen had said he wasn't interested in Kasparov's assistance. Kasparov had offered to pass on some of his "notebooks" or something like that.
johny
2 years 5 months ago
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I also think Kasparov can profit from that and it is controversial
Noskcaj
2 years 3 months ago
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During his prime chess playing years, Kasparov's fighting spirit has never been surpassed - equaled only by Lasker. This is the greatest quality that Magnus can absorb from his time with Garry. To be World Champion demands total focus and total determination to destroy the opponent, especially with the matches shortened to only 12 games. We'll see if Magnus can develop this killer instinct. If he can, then he could become one of the all-time greats, although it's doubtful that he could hold the WC for as long as Garry - competition's too good, Levon for example, and more younger GM's every year.
By the way, I don't think Garry entertains any ideas of a comeback by using Magnus as a decoy. His chess ethics wouldn't allow him to conduct such a ploy, and why should he? He has nothing else to prove over the board.
Thales
2 years 3 months ago
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Good shot. The chess stage nowadays is too boring!! The unique fun is Carlsen. Now... the fun is increased!
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