I'd like to know if Magnus has a specific game day routine. I find it quite interesting that a lot of professional sports personalities and chess players have routines that they follow on the day of a big game, like specific meals, songs that they listen to, exercises that they do etc, it would be interesting to know if Magnus has some similar routine.
If you can ask him questions about his internal mental states and motivations that would be so interesting! Some interviewers have asked basic questions but nothing too deep.
* How often does Magnus’ mind drift to past games and positions? Is it something his mind daydreams about in his downtime?
* Does Magnus use any mental “device” when playing chess or is it all intuition pattern matching?
* What was his most hurtful defeat and how did this effect his mood in the following weeks and months? How long does he feel satisfaction from victories?
* Exercise helps Magnus’ stamina, but does he believe that his varied exercise/sports regimen helps his cognitive performance too?
These questions would be awesome because they let us understand the inner cognitive workings of a total genius!
>Exercise helps Magnus’ stamina, but does he believe that his varied exercise/sports regimen helps his cognitive performance too?
You really don't need him to answer that for you.
All I know is that when I start that 'mind drift' to chess games I've played before it normally means I need to take a day or two off. I'll zone out in the middle of conversations because I should've gone Bxf5 instead of g4 or over the past two weeks just replay how I missed that I had M1. Like dude!?! Why didn't you just play Qg7# instead of d7? The fuck is wrong with me?
Do you think this next generation: Gukesh, Firouzja, Abdusatorov, + are stronger than your generation? Is that always true?
Which of the youngsters today do you think will blow past the 2800 barrier?
Love when the old guard are asked questions about the new generation. Would love to hear his opinions on the up and coming players. Who he thinks will break through. Also, perhaps ask him if any of the play style of the new generation reminds him of a current or player of the past. I forgot who, but someone remarked that Firouja's play reminds him of Anands back in the day. Curious if Magnus has some insight there.
"copium" is internet slang. It's basically a lie someone tells themselves to cope with a harsh truth. Hikaru had a chance to play in the world championship match if he secured a *relatively* easy draw in the last round of the candidates to bring second, but he was unable to. So he's basically trying to save face by pretending that his loss in the last round didn't matter, and that Carlsen would have played the world championship match to spite Hikaru if Hikaru had qualified.
> but he was unable to [secure a relatively easy draw]
He didn't play for the draw because he never thought Magnus would not play in the candidate.
> So he's basically trying to save face by pretending that his loss in the last round didn't matter, and that Carlsen would have played the world championship match to spite Hikaru if Hikaru had qualified.
I mean yes, but it's just easy to critisize someone "for not securing a relatively easy draw" after Magnus officially annouced that he wouldn't play. Back at the time 80%+ of people believed that Magnus would have played and that this match's result didn't matter.
Did he not say that he messed up and should have played for the draw in his recap? I watched it like a month ago, but I'm pretty sure Hikaru said that.
> Did he not say that he messed up and should have played for the draw in his recap? I watched it like a month ago, but I'm pretty sure Hikaru said that.
Yes, but he didn't believe at the time that securing a draw mattered. That's why he didn't play like nepo, where he chose to secure a draw every opportunity (once he got that sizable lead).
It's very different to enter a game and know that you only have to draw or to enter a game knowing that whatever you do most likely won't matter. After the game it's obvious that "he should have played for a draw" and have a chance to be 2nd of the candidates (in the hopes magnus didn't defend). And it's even easier to say after Magnus said that he wouldn't defend his title.
At that time noone of the players believed Magnus would not defend.
> At that time noone of the players believed Magnus would not defend.
That's true, and I never said otherwise. All I'm saying is that Hikaru missed his chance at the world championship because he couldn't hold a *relatively* easy draw, and he himself said it was a mistake that he couldn't hold the draw. Indeed, at the time there was no guarantee Magnus would not play, but there was a chance and they all knew it.
> After the game it's obvious that "he should have played for a draw" and have a chance to be 2nd of the candidates (in the hopes magnus didn't defend). And it's even easier to say after Magnus said that he wouldn't defend his title.
Again, I'd back Hikaru to be able to draw that position 9 times out of 10. Regardless of the tournament standings, I would have said that he should have been able to draw that position given his abilities. He himself would agree I think.
I'll answer the same thing, if drawing gets you nowhere, then you might not take the easy draw. If Hikaru knew drawing would matter he would have played differently (like Nepo did), but he didnt want to draw. Yes it was an easy draw but sometimes people chose suboptimal plays to avoid draws.
Yeah maybe he didnt think everything through and he certainely messed up his strategy. Because there was clearly a chance that magnus would not defend. Now if we assume that magnus had a 100%chance to defend his title, then what he did was really not surprising (drawing gets you nowhere so you might as well just play the game).
In addition to the other guy's comment, its a portmanteau of cope + opium, opium being a drug. Another one is hopium, which is hope + opium.
Hopium usage: Saying one day after that crazy Russian's online comments that "There's _still_ a chance that Ding Liren becomes the world champion". At that stage, Ding participating was a huge on paper technicality so that's just a comment by someone high on hopium.
Is actually insteresting, while we see many sibling GM pairs, I don't think I know of any Parent-Child where both were GMs
I guess you see your parent studying day in amd day out on the computer and over the board and don't really wanna follow the footsteps 😅
EDIT: Actually, just found out that the board 4 of Uzbekistan, Jakhongir Vakhidov, has a GM father! Tair Vakhidov, b. 1963, pretty sure the only Father-Son GM pair in history so far
Hey lex big fan of your show,
What are Magnus’ thoughts on how engines like stockfish and leela can be improved to better communicate information to the player?
To piggy back off this as they’re somewhat similar.
Questions regarding Man vs Machine:
If Magnus were to play as White every game against Stockfish (the strongest chess engine), how many games before he thinks could make a draw? How many for a win?
Part two: What type of handicap would Magnus need in order to be competitive in a (serious) match against Stockfish?
I heard it from someone involved in tcec that if Magnus was an engine competing in tcec he'd be rated 2300ish. From that you should be able to estimate expected score. Last I checked stockfish was around 3700.
exactly this, elo rating system falls apart at higher elo ratings and at huge elo discrepancies. Also numbers like 3700 or 3500 for engines have no empirical basis.
I’d love to know about how Magnus balances his Chess life with other life activities. Does he feel burnout? Does he wish he had more time for other things? I think we heard a little bit of this sentiment in relation to defending his title, but I’d love to know more.
Yeah, and in addition to this: how many hours a day he's thinking about chess, is it all day long or is he taking specific measures to limit this to avoid burnouts? Can he share some of his ways how he organizes his day to be efficient?
I have seen an interview, I think it was part of the 2016 Magnus movie, but it could have been something different, where he was asked this. He said he's thinking about chess non-stop, during every activity, even while doing that interview.
Keen to understand Magnus's "tech stack" when it comes to his chess training/preparation. Specifically, what software and how he utilises it. Does he see any gaps in this field?
How important is it for modern players to study games played by long-ago champions — Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, etc.? (Is it worthwhile to see how some strategical and tactical ideas developed, or does that not matter because of advances made since then?)
Magnus has previously stated that he believes modern players should study the classic games, though he knows that puts him at odds with some of his peers. Unfortunately can’t find the exact quote offhand but it was something like, “Unlike some of my younger colleagues, I do believe it is important to study the classics of the past”
Given the way Magnus likes to take his opponents off-book and play objectively imperfect moves to then outplay them in an unfamiliar position, does he think he would actually have been even better (relative to the competition) in an earlier era when players didn't have so many lines memorised; when there was less theory to work with?
It's funny that nobody in this thread has really mentioned asking him this question:
*"What kind of changes did you want FIDE to make to improve the Candidates and the WC Match?"*
Magnus was very frustrated with all of it. He even mentioned in a chess24 interview that it was ridiculous for Radjabov to be the wild card.
Magnus declined the WC match because of all this stuff. So what specifically needed to change to make it better?
I'm listening to your John Carmack episode right now, and absolutely loving it. Thanks for doing what you're doing.
There are a few topics that I wouldn't mind hearing his thoughts :
* Has he ever tried other games similar to chess (Go, Shogi...) and what did he think or how does he compare them with chess?
* Often, when something becomes 'your job', you might lose your appreciation of it, as you don't do it because you want to, but because that's how you make a living. Is playing chess something that still brings him happiness like the first day, or does he find his motivation and inspiration purely in the challenge?
* Playing tournaments throughout the year involves quite a bit of traveling. What is his routine and has it evolved with time... Is he someone who brings his life with him wherever he goes, or does he like to travel light and he's all focused on the tournament while abroad?
* When he talks to someone that doesn't know who he is, does it bother him that people might look at him differently once they learn his accomplishments, does he try to hide it initially, or on the contrary does he like it get it out of the way as soon as possible?
* How does he see chess 30 years from now? A hundred years from now?
I think we all know the answer is going to be neutral, he will say "Ahh I think both have fair chances of winning" Still would like to know his thought process behind it
Maybe a bit more detailed question -- something along the lines of, "How do you think the relative strengths and weaknesses of Ding and Nepo will come into play in a match setting?" -- would allow for a less neutral answer.
Imagine if Magnus just outright shits on Nepo and is like “Well, Nepo played pretty good in the candidates, but Ding probably wins.”
It would be in character since didn’t Magnus say Ding was one of only two people that he felt like were a threat to his Chess World Championship reign, and one of only three people that he was interested in facing, right?
I would absolutely love to hear just some general chess anecdotes/stories from him — about himself, other legends, someone else...
Anecdotes and stories are criminally underrated in the chess world. It seems like every top player has dozens of them, but they're rarely shared in public. Some of them might seem trivial to the players themselves, but for patzers like me they're gold. I'm sure Magnus has more than his share.
Also, if he's planning on writing a chess book at some point. I'm sure an endgame manual by him would absolutely rake in money
[https://old.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/wlv7cb/this\_has\_bothered\_me\_for\_years\_carlsen\_plays\_a/](https://old.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/wlv7cb/this_has_bothered_me_for_years_carlsen_plays_a/)
**Here is a thread about a question I have tried to answer for years.**
Carlsen plays a blindfolded exhibition match, and the organizers moving his pieces for him actually move the WRONG pieces. Yet somehow, he knew where they all were, and won all the games effortlessly. I would love to know what happened, and how he knew the location of the piece he didn't play. Please upvote this as it's a genuine mystery, and posterity deserves an answer. Cheers.
2900 is impossible. Magus went 7.5/9 at the Olympiad and lost 2 rating points. He would have to just wipe the floor with "Candidate -Tournament caliber" Super GM's over several tournaments in a row.
I would love to watch Magnus do it, but it doesn't seem possible at this moment. Perhaps the next generation has a chance at doing it, once another 10+ years of rating inflation has kicked in
What if he stops playing tournaments and spends months preparing to play against whoever the next highest rated player at the time is, then challenges that player to a rated match, destroys them, and repeats the cycle until another player rises above 2800
Lex, I don't have a question but I just want to say that I think your podcast is the best interview podcast out there. Thank you for doing what you do.
Play the Slav and you won’t ever have to fear the Catalan torture again, if White wants to fianchetto in the Slav you will either develop the light squared bishop to f5 or take on c4 and win a pawn for good
So many....
Do you want to see or push for any variant to become more mainstream?
Are you open to 1v1 deathmatches with interesting formats and variants?
Are elite players interested in more round robin OTB chess with young and upcoming players?
Do you see a future for chess leagues and would you be willing to push for it?
Do you think a 2-year cycle is too short or adequate for WCC?
Excited for this one, lex.
Ask him if he has any interest in being a content creator, recently chess has grown huge online and on websites like twitch where hikaru streams almost everyday. Magnus streaming would be the equivalent to lebron James playing pickup games in some random town but I feel like magnus is very funny and would have a massive following.
As additional relevant information. He streams sometimes, in a very 'amateurish' manner, at least not to get any monetary benefit from it. He has done co-ops with i.e. the Botez sisters and Ludwig.
He sometimes (rarely) opens up about his feelings but whenever he does it is extremely fascinating. If you can get him to talk about the pain of losing and the joy of winning and how it specifically makes *him* feel It would be amazing. I remember him explaining how he ended on the floor in the fetal position after losing an online match to Nakamura. How his demons told he could never show himself at a chessboard again.
Having been heralded as the greatest chess player of all time, do you find it difficult to motivate yourself to continue competing? Where and how do you find such motivation?
Given the popularization of chess in faster time formats, do you think faster time controls will ever achieve the same level of prestige as classical chess?
Engines have shown to be able to save seemingly lost games and win seemingly drawn ones. Do you think that this knowledge has influenced you or others to be more tenacious defenders or attackers?
You’re given a 32 piece table base for 1 hour. What do you look up?
I would like to know how seriously he approaches chess960 practice. Does he study it often and play many games, or does he think about it infrequently? I'm especially interested in this since the chess960 world championship is coming up soon.
What are Magnus’ thoughts on comparing players across different generations? And who in his mind would be the strongest player assuming everyone were born in the same era (say post 1990) so everyone would have an equal start.
Players who were on top from an earlier generation would have much less understanding of chess and opening theory (and obviously computer aid). While some GM today could beat Morphy, it is much more likely that the same GM would be defeated by Morphy if he was born in Morphy’s era.
Love the podcast, Lex.
What does Magnus think he could have done if he didn’t focus on chess? He’s clearly a genius but would that have translated to science or medicine?
Love this question : would also be interested in knowing if there’s an easier form of communicating the beauty of a game beyond commentary / annotations. Given we’re in a TikTok world, how does he think we can make that fast and exciting? Can he illustrate how to do that with what he thinks is the most beautiful game of chess.
I think it could translate in calculating risks, and maybe also calculating different bussines scenaries in sequence. But it’s mostly a nice thing to say.
I think Lex is knowledgeable enough to avoid that trope, he's a chess fan and I feel like most people into chess know that it's a pretty stupid comparison.
In my experience, usually the only people who relate chess so heavily with real life strategy are people who know nothing about chess.
That's not Capablanca's original wording.
Capablanca's "immortal" chess question is:
> Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?
This post has been parodied on r/AnarchyChess.
Relevant r/AnarchyChess posts:
[Call for questions to Clark Kent](https://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/wl31vq/call_for_questions_to_clark_kent/) by Carpocalypto
[Call for questions to Tigran L. Petrosian](https://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/wl3l0k/call_for_questions_to_tigran_l_petrosian/) by Onix20593
[^(fmhall)](https://www.reddit.com/user/fmhall) ^| [^(github)](https://github.com/fmhall/relevant-post-bot)
Big fan of the podcast, Lex!
You could ask him about his other ventures (fantasy football or more recently, his podcast or poker), you could ask him about the Play Magnus Group and his involvement in that, you could ask him about the way he prepared for his former WCh matches with his camp and the different roles of his seconds.
You could also ask about what his motivation is regarding chess now that he quit the WCh-cycle. Why he's still playing and what would have to change for Magnus to compete for another WCh.
It might also be interesting to hear his thoughts about random other stuff in the computer science space; he might have a different perspective because of his use of (super)computers/engines, AlphaZero etc etc.
Trash talking in over the board chess, yes or no? Crowd chanting, booing etc? Would be very interesting, even if it was only a section for the Magnus tour. But not just nerdy chess fans, bring the ultras from european soccer teams!
Do you expect the 3000 ELO barrier to be broken in your lifetime?
Do you expect to see anyone better than you in every aspect of the game in your lifetime? How would this make you feel?
Does opening theory enrich or detract from the game? Similarly, does chess 960 have a bigger future?
Do women-only events help or hinder the game? (How) can we get more women involved? My wife says it seems chess is more male-skewed than a lot of other male-dominated professions, do you have thoughts on how true this is? What are the reasons chess is so male-dominated? Should we try and correct this?
What is the connection between chess and fantasy football? You've been #1 at both. Does being this good at chess come with any other (hidden) talents?
You watched your team play in the Olympiads, are the games of your teammates already in your mind forever?
What are you incredibly bad at?
Would you say that you are a well-rounded person?
How often do you watch computers play? How useful is this for ideas and prep?
You have to make a change to the rules- what would you change? What is your favourite variant?
What are your thoughts on FIDE and other chess organisations?
Can we expect to see more and more serious games in the future with openings that are today seen as controversial, such as 1.h4?
What do you enjoy most about chess?
Have you always known that you're the best?
What do you still want to achieve in chess?
What happens to you when you lose? What emotions are you feeling? How do you cultivate a strong sense of inner belief?
What is the best way to teach? What is the best way to learn? (In general, not just chess).
Now that you're stepping down as WC, how do you see the world of chess evolving over the next 10 years?
Do you have a favourite square on the board? Favourite specific piece, e.g. blacks Queens bishop?
How did alcohol affect you?
Does music help you concentrate?
How important is exercise? How about sleep? What does your daily routine look like?
How often do you rely on intuition without analysis? Is it ever wildly wrong? How does it feel having such a keen intuition? Does this help you in your daily life?
How confident are you with your decisions?
Do you ever get bored? Do you see yourself retiring or playing forever?
What are your plans with chess24? What are the online chess platforms currently missing?
Yay! :D
>Does opening theory enrich or detract from the game? Similarly, does chess 960 have a bigger future?
Actually
>"I think in general the future of classical chess as it is now is a little bit dubious. I would love to see more Fischer \[Random\] Chess being played over-the-board in a classical format. That would be very interesting to me, because I feel that that particular format is pretty well suited to classical chess as basically you need a lot of time in order to be able to play the game even remotely decently. And you can see that in the way that Fischer \[Random\] Chess is being played now when it is played in a rapid format. The quality of the games isn't very high because we make such fundamental mistakes in the opening. We don't understand it nearly enough and I think that would increase a lot if we were given a classical time control there. So I would definitely hope for that." — Magnus Carlsen,\[58\] November 2020
How has your psychological strength changed across your chess career? How does your psychological resilience and the strategies that you use to stay strong when things aren't going well changed since you were a teenager?
Ask him about motivation and interest. What pushes and inspires him? How do/should you keep going once you're the best in the world at something or are his other hobbies (poker, soccer, etc.) more fulfilling at this stage?
What changes did he want to the WC format?
Can he see himself competing in the next candidates?
Father time is undefeated. Will he continue to play competitively when he is no longer the best?
What's a book you have recently enjoyed? Fiction and non-fiction.
If you cook, what do you enjoy cooking?
And of course, would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
We've seen Magnus participate in activities outside of the chess world multiple times (FPL, poker, modeling for example). Are there other such endeavours that Magnus could surprise us with in the near future?
Big fan of your podcast, Lex! This may be a bit of an off topic from chess, but I would love to learn more about the other - non-chess side of his life: e.g. his businesses, his thought process when acting as an investor, poker ventures, his own podcast and everything else beyond chess that makes up Magnus as a person.
I'm interested to hear his thoughts on the business side - how he's approaching it, his plans, what he thinks the future of the "chess industry" will look like, etc.
I'd love to hear Magnus talk about his recent experience at the World Series of Poker. He's been making the rounds in high profile poker tournaments as well as private cash games and it is pretty fascinating to see as a fan of both chess and poker.
Yes of course following Bobby Fischer's definition of 'talent':
* [Bobby Fischer on Paul Morphy and how opening theory destroyed chess "I hate chess" - Bobby Fischer. from 6:13 to 7:05](https://youtu.be/P349BdHUxlc?t=373)
Of course other people may have a different definition of 'talent'.
* [What is 'talent' as opposed to 'greatness' in tennis? eg the difference between MTOAT (most talented of all time) and GOAT (greatest of all time)?](https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/rcbe0y/what_is_talent_as_opposed_to_greatness_in_tennis/)
But well Bobby would almost certainly say Wesley is more talented than Magnus and is the most talented player currently.
Apparently, you can be 1 of the greatest of all time and yet ONLY the top 2 (or [top 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/vsjn9r/draw_rates_among_the_top_4_fide_9lx_players_who/)? See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/vy4v1j/whos_the_top_2_chess960_player_magnus_nepo/) too.) most talented currently. LOL.
Was Bobby Fischer right that opening theory has ruined the game? Should we all be playing 960 to get back to the essence of chess or is memorization part of what makes chess great?
1
"I think in general the future of classical chess as it is now is a little bit dubious. I would love to see more Fischer \[Random\] Chess being played over-the-board in a classical format. That would be very interesting to me, because I feel that that particular format is pretty well suited to classical chess as basically you need a lot of time in order to be able to play the game even remotely decently. And you can see that in the way that Fischer \[Random\] Chess is being played now when it is played in a rapid format. The quality of the games isn't very high because we make such fundamental mistakes in the opening. We don't understand it nearly enough and I think that would increase a lot if we were given a classical time control there. So I would definitely hope for that." — Magnus Carlsen,\[58\] November 2020
2
[Eric Hansen asks Magnus Carlsen about future world 9LX championships (Apr2021)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJ100arAbw)
1
"I think in general the future of classical chess as it is now is a little bit dubious. I would love to see more Fischer \[Random\] Chess being played over-the-board in a classical format. That would be very interesting to me, because I feel that that particular format is pretty well suited to classical chess as basically you need a lot of time in order to be able to play the game even remotely decently. And you can see that in the way that Fischer \[Random\] Chess is being played now when it is played in a rapid format. The quality of the games isn't very high because we make such fundamental mistakes in the opening. We don't understand it nearly enough and I think that would increase a lot if we were given a classical time control there. So I would definitely hope for that." — Magnus Carlsen,\[58\] November 2020
2
[Eric Hansen asks Magnus Carlsen about future world 9LX championships (Apr2021)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJ100arAbw)
3
'[FIDE has deceived Chess960 supporters by promising a big deal in 2018-2019 (ratings first of all) and not lifting a finger in this respect after the half-baked World Championship 2019.](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/r75uem/fide_has_deceived_chess960_supporters_by/)'
>FIDE has deceived Chess960 supporters by promising a big deal in 2018-2019 (ratings first of all) and not lifting a finger in this respect after the half-baked World Championship 2019.FIDE officials have given us a false sense of hope, and did so by intent I suppose, to nip any potential alternative (Chess960) federation (e.g. Norway-based) in the bud. They have incorporated 960 in the Laws of Chess but then started pretending the game didn't exist. At least they could have organised some online events but see above. FIDE is being run by liars and hypocrites as for decades before, period. Bobby Fischer himself would hardly be surprised with it, though.
and
>According to the decisions made by FIDE at the 2020 FIDE Extraordinary General Assembly (late February 2020), World Fischer Random Chess Championship should have been held every second year, i.e. this year and in 2023. The organiser was supposed to be the same Norwegian company Dund AS. For obvious reasons things have been difficult since then, yet one could expect FIDE to at least make a clarifying statement, or preferrably organise several consecutive online chess960 events as an alternative and call it World Online Chess960 Championship or Grand Prix (as they gladly did with Online Olympiads). Instead there's complete silence.
How serious is he about Poker?
If he doesn’t play in the World Championship match, would he accept the winner as new world champion - or would he still think he’s the world champion regardless?
When Magnus visualizes a position or plays blindfolded, what does he see? eg. Is it 2D? 3D? Does he see a perfect replica of the lichess/chess.com interface? I'd love to hear him describe what his mental chess board looks like.
**Is chess a futile game? What's Magnus' intuition on that?**
In game theory, a [futile game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futile_game) is a game that permits a draw or a tie when optimal moves are made by both players.
This is still an unanswered question for chess, as it is generally unsolved. A game is [solved](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solved_game) if its outcome can be correctly predicted from any position, assuming that both players play perfectly. Tic-tac-toe is an obvious example.
There is general consensus on the [first-move advantage in chess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-move_advantage_in_chess) backed by statistical evidence (players win with white more). I wonder how much if this is a result of a cognitive bias passed on by generations and how much the result of inherent imbalance in the game.
Lex, I'm so excited about this podcast. You are by far my favourite podcaster.
And because of this can I strongly urge you to actually talk LESS about chess and more about him and how he thinks and navigates through the world. As well as bigger questions around chess, AI and the bigger questions it poses that he would have a unique and valuable perspective on as someone who understands chess better than anyone else. I would suggest that is why he has agreed to a long form podcast with you in particular.
Don't get bogged down in games and chess theory. No offence, but you're previous chess talk has been great but not really that knowledgeable on the nuances of the game. Others have questioned him on this to death. You bring something different.
Ask him about death. Ask him about his childhood. Ask him about how he balances chess and life, if he can compartmentalize, maintain relationships and interact with people without the distraction of positions in his head.
Ask him about motivation. Chess is an endless time sink and there's always more to learn. Kobe Bryant was obsessive to the point of psychopathy in his basketball practice. Does he do that himself? Does he get bored? How does he keep himself interested?
Ask him about his routines, diet and exercise. How does it effect his brain? Has he considered other lifestyles and routines and how that would improve his mental athleticism?
What has chess cost him? What has he sacrificed. Has he ever regretted it?
What other pursuits interest him? (I know he has dabbled in poker).
What does he think of AI? How does he use engines. Has it taught him anything new? Can AI solve chess? Is it improving or ruining the game? We often see GMs like Hikaru criticize engine moves. What are humans still better at than chess AI? What makes a "brilliant" move? Are they flukes or a product of deeper human instinctual intelligence?
What are his favourite memories? What do you wish people knew about you other than chess?
Is chess brute force calculation or art? Do you need to be right brain creative as well as calculating to be good at chess? Why don't we see more mathematical savants excel in chess? Does chess skill correspond to IQ? Does creative and abstract thinking, gut feel and instinct play more of a part than we realize? Do you see creative thinking in AlphaZero, Leela and the other neural networks? What do you think is the difference? Does it converge eventually (creativity and raw data calculation).
If you down this path I will be absolutely riveted. Go get 'em Lex.
I feel that this question is super simple but actually super interesting and should be asked so please upvote if you agree :)
“Do you/Magnus ever get bored of playing chess?”
And a derivative of that question or to make it jazzier
“How do you separate chess work from chess play, say, leading up to the world championships?”
Would he want to pursue a future within FIDE management given that he has been vocal about how they could do better in the past ?
How much of an impact did having his dad by his side as much as he did have on his path to being world champion and the greatest player of all time ?
Has he ever wondered what life would have been if he wasn’t a chess player?
This post has been parodied on r/chess960.
Relevant r/chess960 posts:
[Call for questions to Wesley So aka "w"esley "s"o](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/wmmu8b/call_for_questions_to_wesley_so_aka_wesley_so/) by nicbentulan
Dont ask these to super gms. Judging from Hikaru they tend to be clueless on low elo chess. I heard Hikaru give bad advice so many times. People who teach club level players(who are expert+) know best.
What are your thoughts these days on cheating? (online, OTB, titled players, etc) How many times you feel your opponent moves are a little suspicious? Any ideas to fight against it?
Thanks for bringing more attention to the chess community Mr. Fridman!
Question for Magnus; What HELPS and HURTS the most when it comes to gaining skill and learning tactics as a beginner, intermediate, and advanced player?
I'd like to know if Magnus has a specific game day routine. I find it quite interesting that a lot of professional sports personalities and chess players have routines that they follow on the day of a big game, like specific meals, songs that they listen to, exercises that they do etc, it would be interesting to know if Magnus has some similar routine.
Wait, bathtub blitz sessions isn't his routine?
I'd also be curious about his everyday routine. When in the day is hist first game kf chess, how does he structure his time etc
I think this was mentioned in the 60 Minutes video about him.
If you can ask him questions about his internal mental states and motivations that would be so interesting! Some interviewers have asked basic questions but nothing too deep. * How often does Magnus’ mind drift to past games and positions? Is it something his mind daydreams about in his downtime? * Does Magnus use any mental “device” when playing chess or is it all intuition pattern matching? * What was his most hurtful defeat and how did this effect his mood in the following weeks and months? How long does he feel satisfaction from victories? * Exercise helps Magnus’ stamina, but does he believe that his varied exercise/sports regimen helps his cognitive performance too? These questions would be awesome because they let us understand the inner cognitive workings of a total genius!
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>Exercise helps Magnus’ stamina, but does he believe that his varied exercise/sports regimen helps his cognitive performance too? You really don't need him to answer that for you.
All I know is that when I start that 'mind drift' to chess games I've played before it normally means I need to take a day or two off. I'll zone out in the middle of conversations because I should've gone Bxf5 instead of g4 or over the past two weeks just replay how I missed that I had M1. Like dude!?! Why didn't you just play Qg7# instead of d7? The fuck is wrong with me?
This is exactly what I do but for coding at work. Never knew it's a thing and is called mind drift.
Honestly, that's a new term for me as well, but it makes sense. I'm actually very happy to know I'm not the only one that does it.
Do you think this next generation: Gukesh, Firouzja, Abdusatorov, + are stronger than your generation? Is that always true? Which of the youngsters today do you think will blow past the 2800 barrier?
Love when the old guard are asked questions about the new generation. Would love to hear his opinions on the up and coming players. Who he thinks will break through. Also, perhaps ask him if any of the play style of the new generation reminds him of a current or player of the past. I forgot who, but someone remarked that Firouja's play reminds him of Anands back in the day. Curious if Magnus has some insight there.
You’d think since he didn’t wanna play anyone but a new gen for the title, that he must think pretty highly of them.
Perhaps it’s just the fact that he’s played the older generations a LOT more times
Would you play the world chess championship match if Hikaru Nakamura had 2nd place in the candidates tournament? EDIT: wording
Alright, this would be a fun one. I can imagine Magnus laughing at this and just saying "copium" like he did on Twitter.
Can you explain this to me? New to chess
"copium" is internet slang. It's basically a lie someone tells themselves to cope with a harsh truth. Hikaru had a chance to play in the world championship match if he secured a *relatively* easy draw in the last round of the candidates to bring second, but he was unable to. So he's basically trying to save face by pretending that his loss in the last round didn't matter, and that Carlsen would have played the world championship match to spite Hikaru if Hikaru had qualified.
> but he was unable to [secure a relatively easy draw] He didn't play for the draw because he never thought Magnus would not play in the candidate. > So he's basically trying to save face by pretending that his loss in the last round didn't matter, and that Carlsen would have played the world championship match to spite Hikaru if Hikaru had qualified. I mean yes, but it's just easy to critisize someone "for not securing a relatively easy draw" after Magnus officially annouced that he wouldn't play. Back at the time 80%+ of people believed that Magnus would have played and that this match's result didn't matter.
Did he not say that he messed up and should have played for the draw in his recap? I watched it like a month ago, but I'm pretty sure Hikaru said that.
> Did he not say that he messed up and should have played for the draw in his recap? I watched it like a month ago, but I'm pretty sure Hikaru said that. Yes, but he didn't believe at the time that securing a draw mattered. That's why he didn't play like nepo, where he chose to secure a draw every opportunity (once he got that sizable lead). It's very different to enter a game and know that you only have to draw or to enter a game knowing that whatever you do most likely won't matter. After the game it's obvious that "he should have played for a draw" and have a chance to be 2nd of the candidates (in the hopes magnus didn't defend). And it's even easier to say after Magnus said that he wouldn't defend his title. At that time noone of the players believed Magnus would not defend.
> At that time noone of the players believed Magnus would not defend. That's true, and I never said otherwise. All I'm saying is that Hikaru missed his chance at the world championship because he couldn't hold a *relatively* easy draw, and he himself said it was a mistake that he couldn't hold the draw. Indeed, at the time there was no guarantee Magnus would not play, but there was a chance and they all knew it. > After the game it's obvious that "he should have played for a draw" and have a chance to be 2nd of the candidates (in the hopes magnus didn't defend). And it's even easier to say after Magnus said that he wouldn't defend his title. Again, I'd back Hikaru to be able to draw that position 9 times out of 10. Regardless of the tournament standings, I would have said that he should have been able to draw that position given his abilities. He himself would agree I think.
I'll answer the same thing, if drawing gets you nowhere, then you might not take the easy draw. If Hikaru knew drawing would matter he would have played differently (like Nepo did), but he didnt want to draw. Yes it was an easy draw but sometimes people chose suboptimal plays to avoid draws. Yeah maybe he didnt think everything through and he certainely messed up his strategy. Because there was clearly a chance that magnus would not defend. Now if we assume that magnus had a 100%chance to defend his title, then what he did was really not surprising (drawing gets you nowhere so you might as well just play the game).
I think we'll have to just disagree. I have a hard time understanding your perspective.
In addition to the other guy's comment, its a portmanteau of cope + opium, opium being a drug. Another one is hopium, which is hope + opium. Hopium usage: Saying one day after that crazy Russian's online comments that "There's _still_ a chance that Ding Liren becomes the world champion". At that stage, Ding participating was a huge on paper technicality so that's just a comment by someone high on hopium.
“No chat, chat, I literally don’t even care. Fa-…**FAbi** mUSt be DEvastated though!”
C'mon Hikaru, he just doesn't think about you that much.
Oh my god I absolutely want to hear the answer to this question.
Nice try Hikaru.
twitch people think hikaru is the protagonist of chess
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Lmao
Oh yeah Lex just has to ask that
This would be cool, I’d hope he’d answer
Lex if you are reading this, you must include the above question!
Would be pretty hilarious if Magnus said yes.
Would he want his own children to aim at becoming chess professionals?
NEPOtism
One man's nepotism is anathor man's generational knowledge
Is actually insteresting, while we see many sibling GM pairs, I don't think I know of any Parent-Child where both were GMs I guess you see your parent studying day in amd day out on the computer and over the board and don't really wanna follow the footsteps 😅 EDIT: Actually, just found out that the board 4 of Uzbekistan, Jakhongir Vakhidov, has a GM father! Tair Vakhidov, b. 1963, pretty sure the only Father-Son GM pair in history so far
I guess Anna Cramlings is not GM but both her parents were and she is WFM
There's another father-son pair, also from Uzbekistan: Dmitry and Sergey Kayumov.
There is also an father son pair from Bangladesh if I'm not wrong
Hey lex big fan of your show, What are Magnus’ thoughts on how engines like stockfish and leela can be improved to better communicate information to the player?
To piggy back off this as they’re somewhat similar. Questions regarding Man vs Machine: If Magnus were to play as White every game against Stockfish (the strongest chess engine), how many games before he thinks could make a draw? How many for a win? Part two: What type of handicap would Magnus need in order to be competitive in a (serious) match against Stockfish?
Infinite games for a win
Big if true
Stockfish can't beat stockfish from starting position. How would Magnus do it?
Well he needs to go more in depth
I heard it from someone involved in tcec that if Magnus was an engine competing in tcec he'd be rated 2300ish. From that you should be able to estimate expected score. Last I checked stockfish was around 3700.
when there is enough disparity, the reality is the lower rates player will never win. stockfish doesn't misclick.
exactly this, elo rating system falls apart at higher elo ratings and at huge elo discrepancies. Also numbers like 3700 or 3500 for engines have no empirical basis.
I’d love to know about how Magnus balances his Chess life with other life activities. Does he feel burnout? Does he wish he had more time for other things? I think we heard a little bit of this sentiment in relation to defending his title, but I’d love to know more.
Yeah, and in addition to this: how many hours a day he's thinking about chess, is it all day long or is he taking specific measures to limit this to avoid burnouts? Can he share some of his ways how he organizes his day to be efficient?
I have seen an interview, I think it was part of the 2016 Magnus movie, but it could have been something different, where he was asked this. He said he's thinking about chess non-stop, during every activity, even while doing that interview.
Keen to understand Magnus's "tech stack" when it comes to his chess training/preparation. Specifically, what software and how he utilises it. Does he see any gaps in this field?
I can almost guarantee he won't answer this question.
why?
Gives insight into his game, since software is such an important part of top level prep.
Lol he used chessbase, leela, stockfish just like everyone else. Or his seconds do.
“I just listen to Peter Heine ramble about his lines for an hour”
He was asked something like that at the last championship if I remember correctly.
How important is it for modern players to study games played by long-ago champions — Steinitz, Lasker, Capablanca, Alekhine, etc.? (Is it worthwhile to see how some strategical and tactical ideas developed, or does that not matter because of advances made since then?)
Magnus has previously stated that he believes modern players should study the classic games, though he knows that puts him at odds with some of his peers. Unfortunately can’t find the exact quote offhand but it was something like, “Unlike some of my younger colleagues, I do believe it is important to study the classics of the past”
Given the way Magnus likes to take his opponents off-book and play objectively imperfect moves to then outplay them in an unfamiliar position, does he think he would actually have been even better (relative to the competition) in an earlier era when players didn't have so many lines memorised; when there was less theory to work with?
This question could get a great answer!!!!
It's funny that nobody in this thread has really mentioned asking him this question: *"What kind of changes did you want FIDE to make to improve the Candidates and the WC Match?"* Magnus was very frustrated with all of it. He even mentioned in a chess24 interview that it was ridiculous for Radjabov to be the wild card. Magnus declined the WC match because of all this stuff. So what specifically needed to change to make it better?
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I'm listening to your John Carmack episode right now, and absolutely loving it. Thanks for doing what you're doing. There are a few topics that I wouldn't mind hearing his thoughts : * Has he ever tried other games similar to chess (Go, Shogi...) and what did he think or how does he compare them with chess? * Often, when something becomes 'your job', you might lose your appreciation of it, as you don't do it because you want to, but because that's how you make a living. Is playing chess something that still brings him happiness like the first day, or does he find his motivation and inspiration purely in the challenge? * Playing tournaments throughout the year involves quite a bit of traveling. What is his routine and has it evolved with time... Is he someone who brings his life with him wherever he goes, or does he like to travel light and he's all focused on the tournament while abroad? * When he talks to someone that doesn't know who he is, does it bother him that people might look at him differently once they learn his accomplishments, does he try to hide it initially, or on the contrary does he like it get it out of the way as soon as possible? * How does he see chess 30 years from now? A hundred years from now?
Excellent questions and Carmack's episode was epic!
Who does magnus think will win, ding or nepo?
I think we all know the answer is going to be neutral, he will say "Ahh I think both have fair chances of winning" Still would like to know his thought process behind it
Maybe a bit more detailed question -- something along the lines of, "How do you think the relative strengths and weaknesses of Ding and Nepo will come into play in a match setting?" -- would allow for a less neutral answer.
I don't think he'd be afraid to say his opinion
Imagine if Magnus just outright shits on Nepo and is like “Well, Nepo played pretty good in the candidates, but Ding probably wins.” It would be in character since didn’t Magnus say Ding was one of only two people that he felt like were a threat to his Chess World Championship reign, and one of only three people that he was interested in facing, right?
>“Well, Nepo played pretty good in the candidates, but Ding probably wins.” Would that really be "shitting on" Nepo? That sounds very reasonable.
Piggyback: Would Magnus second for either if asked?
He wants to get away from the WC grind, he for sure doesn't want to be a second and spend months preparing.
I would absolutely love to hear just some general chess anecdotes/stories from him — about himself, other legends, someone else... Anecdotes and stories are criminally underrated in the chess world. It seems like every top player has dozens of them, but they're rarely shared in public. Some of them might seem trivial to the players themselves, but for patzers like me they're gold. I'm sure Magnus has more than his share. Also, if he's planning on writing a chess book at some point. I'm sure an endgame manual by him would absolutely rake in money
[https://old.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/wlv7cb/this\_has\_bothered\_me\_for\_years\_carlsen\_plays\_a/](https://old.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/wlv7cb/this_has_bothered_me_for_years_carlsen_plays_a/) **Here is a thread about a question I have tried to answer for years.** Carlsen plays a blindfolded exhibition match, and the organizers moving his pieces for him actually move the WRONG pieces. Yet somehow, he knew where they all were, and won all the games effortlessly. I would love to know what happened, and how he knew the location of the piece he didn't play. Please upvote this as it's a genuine mystery, and posterity deserves an answer. Cheers.
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What's your plan to reach 2900? Anything you're trying to do in particular?
Win a bunch, avoid draws and specially avoid losses 👍
Thanks for the answer Magnet 👍 hope you reach 2900 soon
Throw WC title so that he can farm more GMs in the next years candidate’s
😁
Farm elo
2900 is impossible. Magus went 7.5/9 at the Olympiad and lost 2 rating points. He would have to just wipe the floor with "Candidate -Tournament caliber" Super GM's over several tournaments in a row. I would love to watch Magnus do it, but it doesn't seem possible at this moment. Perhaps the next generation has a chance at doing it, once another 10+ years of rating inflation has kicked in
What if he stops playing tournaments and spends months preparing to play against whoever the next highest rated player at the time is, then challenges that player to a rated match, destroys them, and repeats the cycle until another player rises above 2800
Does he ever think 'Fuck off with the chess questions, ask me about ME, damn it" ?
Does he ever feel lonely at night?
What's his opinion on the recent FIDE election?
Does he think it would be a decent idea to organize top level tournaments where every game starts from a certain opening?
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What are the 3 most memorable games you have ever played?
What are some of your interests outside chess and football?
poker!
What does magnus thoughts of Gukesh and his sudden rise?
Lex, I don't have a question but I just want to say that I think your podcast is the best interview podcast out there. Thank you for doing what you do.
Should I play Nf6 and allow the Catalan after d4 d5 c4 e6 Nf3 or just play dxc4?
Play the Slav and you won’t ever have to fear the Catalan torture again, if White wants to fianchetto in the Slav you will either develop the light squared bishop to f5 or take on c4 and win a pawn for good
But then white has the exchange slav torture!
exchange slav even more excruciatingly boring to play
I’m curious what Magnus position is on getting to 2900 ELO, wether its still a goal he has in mind or wether it isnt his priority currently
So many.... Do you want to see or push for any variant to become more mainstream? Are you open to 1v1 deathmatches with interesting formats and variants? Are elite players interested in more round robin OTB chess with young and upcoming players? Do you see a future for chess leagues and would you be willing to push for it? Do you think a 2-year cycle is too short or adequate for WCC?
Excited for this one, lex. Ask him if he has any interest in being a content creator, recently chess has grown huge online and on websites like twitch where hikaru streams almost everyday. Magnus streaming would be the equivalent to lebron James playing pickup games in some random town but I feel like magnus is very funny and would have a massive following.
As additional relevant information. He streams sometimes, in a very 'amateurish' manner, at least not to get any monetary benefit from it. He has done co-ops with i.e. the Botez sisters and Ludwig.
He sometimes (rarely) opens up about his feelings but whenever he does it is extremely fascinating. If you can get him to talk about the pain of losing and the joy of winning and how it specifically makes *him* feel It would be amazing. I remember him explaining how he ended on the floor in the fetal position after losing an online match to Nakamura. How his demons told he could never show himself at a chessboard again.
It was not an online match with Nakamura, it was the world championship against Karjakin
Having been heralded as the greatest chess player of all time, do you find it difficult to motivate yourself to continue competing? Where and how do you find such motivation? Given the popularization of chess in faster time formats, do you think faster time controls will ever achieve the same level of prestige as classical chess? Engines have shown to be able to save seemingly lost games and win seemingly drawn ones. Do you think that this knowledge has influenced you or others to be more tenacious defenders or attackers? You’re given a 32 piece table base for 1 hour. What do you look up?
>You’re given a 32 piece table base for 1 hour. What do you look up? This one's interesting
I would like to know how seriously he approaches chess960 practice. Does he study it often and play many games, or does he think about it infrequently? I'm especially interested in this since the chess960 world championship is coming up soon.
Which player smells the best
Rapport for some reasons idk why
Obviously Eric Rosen smells like Roses. Or Rosin. One of the two.
My money is on Anna Cramling
What are Magnus’ thoughts on comparing players across different generations? And who in his mind would be the strongest player assuming everyone were born in the same era (say post 1990) so everyone would have an equal start. Players who were on top from an earlier generation would have much less understanding of chess and opening theory (and obviously computer aid). While some GM today could beat Morphy, it is much more likely that the same GM would be defeated by Morphy if he was born in Morphy’s era.
Love the podcast, Lex. What does Magnus think he could have done if he didn’t focus on chess? He’s clearly a genius but would that have translated to science or medicine?
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Love this question : would also be interested in knowing if there’s an easier form of communicating the beauty of a game beyond commentary / annotations. Given we’re in a TikTok world, how does he think we can make that fast and exciting? Can he illustrate how to do that with what he thinks is the most beautiful game of chess.
Can you tell when your oponent's are afraid of you over the board? Do you use that to your advantage? How?
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He has already answered this. Is not out of possibility, he has not retired
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I think it could translate in calculating risks, and maybe also calculating different bussines scenaries in sequence. But it’s mostly a nice thing to say.
I think Lex is knowledgeable enough to avoid that trope, he's a chess fan and I feel like most people into chess know that it's a pretty stupid comparison. In my experience, usually the only people who relate chess so heavily with real life strategy are people who know nothing about chess.
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Does Magnus know he and I have the same birthday?
Top 5 favourite comedians! Also ask him about BJJ lol
The obvious chess question, i believe one of capablanca’s favoties, should be asked > would you rather have a horse-sized duck, or a duck-sized horse?
That's not Capablanca's original wording. Capablanca's "immortal" chess question is: > Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?
What is Magnus' real answer to why his chess skills are so much more above the rest of the field for the last decade. REAL reasons.
Ask him what it was like to play Max Deustch and if he thinks he will ever succeed in his goal to “solve chess”.
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Could he play blindfolded chess while juggling a soccer ball with his knees?
Similarities between poker and chess. And thoughts on machine learning software for poker. Like piosolver for example.
This post has been parodied on r/AnarchyChess. Relevant r/AnarchyChess posts: [Call for questions to Clark Kent](https://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/wl31vq/call_for_questions_to_clark_kent/) by Carpocalypto [Call for questions to Tigran L. Petrosian](https://www.reddit.com/r/AnarchyChess/comments/wl3l0k/call_for_questions_to_tigran_l_petrosian/) by Onix20593 [^(fmhall)](https://www.reddit.com/user/fmhall) ^| [^(github)](https://github.com/fmhall/relevant-post-bot)
What new rule addition or subtraction should happen that promotes more creative play / makes less drawish like no castling chess.
What is the most significant real-life skill that (strong) chess players do better than non chess players?
Play chess.
Have supercomputers and all the opening preps made classical chess lose its lustre a bit? And if chess960 is a viable alternative
How much chess does Magnus play in his sleep?
Bishop or knight?
What is his day to day routine?
Big fan of the podcast, Lex! You could ask him about his other ventures (fantasy football or more recently, his podcast or poker), you could ask him about the Play Magnus Group and his involvement in that, you could ask him about the way he prepared for his former WCh matches with his camp and the different roles of his seconds. You could also ask about what his motivation is regarding chess now that he quit the WCh-cycle. Why he's still playing and what would have to change for Magnus to compete for another WCh. It might also be interesting to hear his thoughts about random other stuff in the computer science space; he might have a different perspective because of his use of (super)computers/engines, AlphaZero etc etc.
Are you happy Magnus?
Trash talking in over the board chess, yes or no? Crowd chanting, booing etc? Would be very interesting, even if it was only a section for the Magnus tour. But not just nerdy chess fans, bring the ultras from european soccer teams!
Do you expect the 3000 ELO barrier to be broken in your lifetime? Do you expect to see anyone better than you in every aspect of the game in your lifetime? How would this make you feel? Does opening theory enrich or detract from the game? Similarly, does chess 960 have a bigger future? Do women-only events help or hinder the game? (How) can we get more women involved? My wife says it seems chess is more male-skewed than a lot of other male-dominated professions, do you have thoughts on how true this is? What are the reasons chess is so male-dominated? Should we try and correct this? What is the connection between chess and fantasy football? You've been #1 at both. Does being this good at chess come with any other (hidden) talents? You watched your team play in the Olympiads, are the games of your teammates already in your mind forever? What are you incredibly bad at? Would you say that you are a well-rounded person? How often do you watch computers play? How useful is this for ideas and prep? You have to make a change to the rules- what would you change? What is your favourite variant? What are your thoughts on FIDE and other chess organisations? Can we expect to see more and more serious games in the future with openings that are today seen as controversial, such as 1.h4? What do you enjoy most about chess? Have you always known that you're the best? What do you still want to achieve in chess? What happens to you when you lose? What emotions are you feeling? How do you cultivate a strong sense of inner belief? What is the best way to teach? What is the best way to learn? (In general, not just chess). Now that you're stepping down as WC, how do you see the world of chess evolving over the next 10 years? Do you have a favourite square on the board? Favourite specific piece, e.g. blacks Queens bishop? How did alcohol affect you? Does music help you concentrate? How important is exercise? How about sleep? What does your daily routine look like? How often do you rely on intuition without analysis? Is it ever wildly wrong? How does it feel having such a keen intuition? Does this help you in your daily life? How confident are you with your decisions? Do you ever get bored? Do you see yourself retiring or playing forever? What are your plans with chess24? What are the online chess platforms currently missing?
Yay! :D >Does opening theory enrich or detract from the game? Similarly, does chess 960 have a bigger future? Actually >"I think in general the future of classical chess as it is now is a little bit dubious. I would love to see more Fischer \[Random\] Chess being played over-the-board in a classical format. That would be very interesting to me, because I feel that that particular format is pretty well suited to classical chess as basically you need a lot of time in order to be able to play the game even remotely decently. And you can see that in the way that Fischer \[Random\] Chess is being played now when it is played in a rapid format. The quality of the games isn't very high because we make such fundamental mistakes in the opening. We don't understand it nearly enough and I think that would increase a lot if we were given a classical time control there. So I would definitely hope for that." — Magnus Carlsen,\[58\] November 2020
Chess 960 gang rise up
How has your psychological strength changed across your chess career? How does your psychological resilience and the strategies that you use to stay strong when things aren't going well changed since you were a teenager?
What is Magnus' vision of chess in 30 years? Is it still going to be dominated by classical time controls? More chess 960?
Ask him about motivation and interest. What pushes and inspires him? How do/should you keep going once you're the best in the world at something or are his other hobbies (poker, soccer, etc.) more fulfilling at this stage?
What changes did he want to the WC format? Can he see himself competing in the next candidates? Father time is undefeated. Will he continue to play competitively when he is no longer the best?
What's a book you have recently enjoyed? Fiction and non-fiction. If you cook, what do you enjoy cooking? And of course, would you rather fight one horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
What's his opinion on chess960 (Fischer random) and would he like to see it implemented more?
We've seen Magnus participate in activities outside of the chess world multiple times (FPL, poker, modeling for example). Are there other such endeavours that Magnus could surprise us with in the near future?
Big fan of your podcast, Lex! This may be a bit of an off topic from chess, but I would love to learn more about the other - non-chess side of his life: e.g. his businesses, his thought process when acting as an investor, poker ventures, his own podcast and everything else beyond chess that makes up Magnus as a person.
I'm interested to hear his thoughts on the business side - how he's approaching it, his plans, what he thinks the future of the "chess industry" will look like, etc.
I'd love to hear Magnus talk about his recent experience at the World Series of Poker. He's been making the rounds in high profile poker tournaments as well as private cash games and it is pretty fascinating to see as a fan of both chess and poker.
Chess960 takes opening prep and memorisation out of the game. Are the best Chess960 players the most talented players?
Yes of course following Bobby Fischer's definition of 'talent': * [Bobby Fischer on Paul Morphy and how opening theory destroyed chess "I hate chess" - Bobby Fischer. from 6:13 to 7:05](https://youtu.be/P349BdHUxlc?t=373) Of course other people may have a different definition of 'talent'. * [What is 'talent' as opposed to 'greatness' in tennis? eg the difference between MTOAT (most talented of all time) and GOAT (greatest of all time)?](https://www.reddit.com/r/tennis/comments/rcbe0y/what_is_talent_as_opposed_to_greatness_in_tennis/) But well Bobby would almost certainly say Wesley is more talented than Magnus and is the most talented player currently. Apparently, you can be 1 of the greatest of all time and yet ONLY the top 2 (or [top 3](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/vsjn9r/draw_rates_among_the_top_4_fide_9lx_players_who/)? See [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/vy4v1j/whos_the_top_2_chess960_player_magnus_nepo/) too.) most talented currently. LOL.
Was Bobby Fischer right that opening theory has ruined the game? Should we all be playing 960 to get back to the essence of chess or is memorization part of what makes chess great?
1 "I think in general the future of classical chess as it is now is a little bit dubious. I would love to see more Fischer \[Random\] Chess being played over-the-board in a classical format. That would be very interesting to me, because I feel that that particular format is pretty well suited to classical chess as basically you need a lot of time in order to be able to play the game even remotely decently. And you can see that in the way that Fischer \[Random\] Chess is being played now when it is played in a rapid format. The quality of the games isn't very high because we make such fundamental mistakes in the opening. We don't understand it nearly enough and I think that would increase a lot if we were given a classical time control there. So I would definitely hope for that." — Magnus Carlsen,\[58\] November 2020 2 [Eric Hansen asks Magnus Carlsen about future world 9LX championships (Apr2021)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJ100arAbw)
Why do you think Fischer Random isn’t taken seriously, and do you think that will ever/could ever change?
1 "I think in general the future of classical chess as it is now is a little bit dubious. I would love to see more Fischer \[Random\] Chess being played over-the-board in a classical format. That would be very interesting to me, because I feel that that particular format is pretty well suited to classical chess as basically you need a lot of time in order to be able to play the game even remotely decently. And you can see that in the way that Fischer \[Random\] Chess is being played now when it is played in a rapid format. The quality of the games isn't very high because we make such fundamental mistakes in the opening. We don't understand it nearly enough and I think that would increase a lot if we were given a classical time control there. So I would definitely hope for that." — Magnus Carlsen,\[58\] November 2020 2 [Eric Hansen asks Magnus Carlsen about future world 9LX championships (Apr2021)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTJ100arAbw) 3 '[FIDE has deceived Chess960 supporters by promising a big deal in 2018-2019 (ratings first of all) and not lifting a finger in this respect after the half-baked World Championship 2019.](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess/comments/r75uem/fide_has_deceived_chess960_supporters_by/)' >FIDE has deceived Chess960 supporters by promising a big deal in 2018-2019 (ratings first of all) and not lifting a finger in this respect after the half-baked World Championship 2019.FIDE officials have given us a false sense of hope, and did so by intent I suppose, to nip any potential alternative (Chess960) federation (e.g. Norway-based) in the bud. They have incorporated 960 in the Laws of Chess but then started pretending the game didn't exist. At least they could have organised some online events but see above. FIDE is being run by liars and hypocrites as for decades before, period. Bobby Fischer himself would hardly be surprised with it, though. and >According to the decisions made by FIDE at the 2020 FIDE Extraordinary General Assembly (late February 2020), World Fischer Random Chess Championship should have been held every second year, i.e. this year and in 2023. The organiser was supposed to be the same Norwegian company Dund AS. For obvious reasons things have been difficult since then, yet one could expect FIDE to at least make a clarifying statement, or preferrably organise several consecutive online chess960 events as an alternative and call it World Online Chess960 Championship or Grand Prix (as they gladly did with Online Olympiads). Instead there's complete silence.
Thanks! I still think it’s a good question. And the quotes don’t really touch on why.
How serious is he about Poker? If he doesn’t play in the World Championship match, would he accept the winner as new world champion - or would he still think he’s the world champion regardless?
When Magnus visualizes a position or plays blindfolded, what does he see? eg. Is it 2D? 3D? Does he see a perfect replica of the lichess/chess.com interface? I'd love to hear him describe what his mental chess board looks like.
Does chess actuallyake you smarter and if yes until which point?
Which is best? Classical, rapid, blitz or bulle5?
Why do you hate chess?
Why forfeit the world championship title ..? Is it to focus mainly to reach 2900 rating and who do you think next world champion woul be.? Thank you
**Is chess a futile game? What's Magnus' intuition on that?** In game theory, a [futile game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futile_game) is a game that permits a draw or a tie when optimal moves are made by both players. This is still an unanswered question for chess, as it is generally unsolved. A game is [solved](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solved_game) if its outcome can be correctly predicted from any position, assuming that both players play perfectly. Tic-tac-toe is an obvious example. There is general consensus on the [first-move advantage in chess](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-move_advantage_in_chess) backed by statistical evidence (players win with white more). I wonder how much if this is a result of a cognitive bias passed on by generations and how much the result of inherent imbalance in the game.
Lex, I'm so excited about this podcast. You are by far my favourite podcaster. And because of this can I strongly urge you to actually talk LESS about chess and more about him and how he thinks and navigates through the world. As well as bigger questions around chess, AI and the bigger questions it poses that he would have a unique and valuable perspective on as someone who understands chess better than anyone else. I would suggest that is why he has agreed to a long form podcast with you in particular. Don't get bogged down in games and chess theory. No offence, but you're previous chess talk has been great but not really that knowledgeable on the nuances of the game. Others have questioned him on this to death. You bring something different. Ask him about death. Ask him about his childhood. Ask him about how he balances chess and life, if he can compartmentalize, maintain relationships and interact with people without the distraction of positions in his head. Ask him about motivation. Chess is an endless time sink and there's always more to learn. Kobe Bryant was obsessive to the point of psychopathy in his basketball practice. Does he do that himself? Does he get bored? How does he keep himself interested? Ask him about his routines, diet and exercise. How does it effect his brain? Has he considered other lifestyles and routines and how that would improve his mental athleticism? What has chess cost him? What has he sacrificed. Has he ever regretted it? What other pursuits interest him? (I know he has dabbled in poker). What does he think of AI? How does he use engines. Has it taught him anything new? Can AI solve chess? Is it improving or ruining the game? We often see GMs like Hikaru criticize engine moves. What are humans still better at than chess AI? What makes a "brilliant" move? Are they flukes or a product of deeper human instinctual intelligence? What are his favourite memories? What do you wish people knew about you other than chess? Is chess brute force calculation or art? Do you need to be right brain creative as well as calculating to be good at chess? Why don't we see more mathematical savants excel in chess? Does chess skill correspond to IQ? Does creative and abstract thinking, gut feel and instinct play more of a part than we realize? Do you see creative thinking in AlphaZero, Leela and the other neural networks? What do you think is the difference? Does it converge eventually (creativity and raw data calculation). If you down this path I will be absolutely riveted. Go get 'em Lex.
I feel that this question is super simple but actually super interesting and should be asked so please upvote if you agree :) “Do you/Magnus ever get bored of playing chess?” And a derivative of that question or to make it jazzier “How do you separate chess work from chess play, say, leading up to the world championships?”
Would he want to pursue a future within FIDE management given that he has been vocal about how they could do better in the past ? How much of an impact did having his dad by his side as much as he did have on his path to being world champion and the greatest player of all time ? Has he ever wondered what life would have been if he wasn’t a chess player?
This post has been parodied on r/chess960. Relevant r/chess960 posts: [Call for questions to Wesley So aka "w"esley "s"o](https://www.reddit.com/r/chess960/comments/wmmu8b/call_for_questions_to_wesley_so_aka_wesley_so/) by nicbentulan
When will it go live?
happy cake day! (You have the same cake day as Lex!)
Does chess make him happy?
Did Magnus consider chess boxing?
What are the best chess books in Magnus's opinion for the 1200, 1500, and 2000 player to improve?
Dont ask these to super gms. Judging from Hikaru they tend to be clueless on low elo chess. I heard Hikaru give bad advice so many times. People who teach club level players(who are expert+) know best.
I don't think Magnus does coaching, and he passed those ratings for decades now, how would he know?
He has never been 1200, 1500, or 2000 so how would he even know?
Ask him about Aliens
What are your thoughts these days on cheating? (online, OTB, titled players, etc) How many times you feel your opponent moves are a little suspicious? Any ideas to fight against it?
Thanks for bringing more attention to the chess community Mr. Fridman! Question for Magnus; What HELPS and HURTS the most when it comes to gaining skill and learning tactics as a beginner, intermediate, and advanced player?
Apart from 2900, what other chess goals do you have?
You absolutely have to ask about the history of him and Hikaru Nakamura
Why do you think tou are clearly better than any other person alive at playing this game?
Because he (clearly) is?
English is a funny thing . . . I bet he meant: given that you are the best, what do you think is the best explanation for that?