Carlsen Interview: On Gukesh vs Sindarov, return to World Championship & more

Excerpts:

Q: How difficult will it be for Gukesh to defend his title against Sindarov?

Magnus Carlsen: I think the word “defend” is really not a good place to begin, because in terms of how Gukesh has played for the last couple of years, he should not be in a position where he has to defend anything. He should be in a position where he has everything to gain. He showed in 2024 that when things click, he has the potential to play at an extremely high level. I don’t think a lot of people believe that he will do it now, but it’s even more of an interesting challenge for him to try and get back to that.

Chess is a highly psychological game, so it probably won’t take a lot to potentially place some doubts in Sindarov’s mind and some confidence in Gukesh. As it stands, there’s no question that Sindarov is the favourite.

Q: After the first few games, will current form not be a factor at World Championships?

Magnus Carlsen: The thing about World Championship matches, and one of the reasons I believe it’s an extraordinarily bad way to determine the best player in the world, is that you play Classical, which is the most egalitarian format, and you don’t play a ton of games as well. It means that if you’re not the favourite – let’s say, if you think it’s 80-20 before the match – the likelihood is still very high that it’s going to be a 1 or 2- point match, because chess is such a drawish game.

World champion D Gukesh on a sail boat during the Norway Chess Games day in Oslo during the recent Norway Chess tournament. (Express Photo by Amit Kamath)

Gukesh has shown that his ceiling is on par or better than Sindarov. It’s a short match, and the first few games can determine a lot. I think if Sindarov is ahead early on, it’s probably very bad news for Gukesh. If Gukesh is ahead early on, he automatically becomes a significant favourite. That’s how these matches work.

Q: After Gukesh won last time, you said you’re not part of the circus anymore. Has anything changed in these two years?

Magnus Carlsen: I think if anything has changed, it’s kind of the other way. I think after I became a father, it made me even more certain that I was never coming back to the classical world championship. There are so many things that I like about chess. There are a lot of tournaments that I like. There are a lot of formats that I like. Even classical, especially faster types of classical, I like. Maybe not as a steady diet, but at least once in a while. To justify spending a ton of time on something that I genuinely dislike, when there’s no competitive reason why I should do it, makes zero sense.

Q: You hinted you’re not sure about the future. Are you done with chess, or do you still see a long playing career?

Magnus Carlsen: I’m just saying it’s not going to be forever. Honestly, at the moment, I’m taking a few years at a time, but we’ll see. It’s hard to imagine me completely stepping away from competitive chess as long as I’m pretty good at it, mostly because I like playing. But as a full-time pursuit, that’s kind of more what I was looking for.

Magnus Carlsen during the Global Chess League. (GCL)

Q: What was the biggest motivation behind coming to India and playing in the GCL?

Magnus Carlsen: It’s a really good format. I’ve said from the start that we need team formats in chess that are genuinely exciting. The black-and-white format is very good. I would have preferred for there not to be the two seconds after 40 moves as well. That has been implemented on the request of players who are incompetent and lazy at times. Matches are staggered, which is very good. The match is always going to be decisive unless there are six draws. I think there are a lot of good things about it. I also like to come to India every second year or so because I need a year off to remind myself how crowded the tournaments are.

Q: Anish Giri recently said you like to take ground, and he doesn’t like to give up any. A word on your rivalry?

Magnus Carlsen: I haven’t heard of that rivalry, so… I don’t know. We’re teammates, but I haven’t really engaged with him or anybody else on social media for a very long time. That’s kind of in the past. We have different goals in chess. His main focus has always been the classical world championship, and that’s not for me, and he’s done very well at that. But in terms of rivalry, no.

Q: Your thoughts on Praggnanandhaa’s recent performances. Have you noticed any change?

Magnus Carlsen: No, I don’t think his approach has changed too much. He has a very good foundation in chess, but he plays in a very aggressive way, and it’s been working out pretty well for him recently. I’m a fan. I love watching his chess. He pushes very hard, and manages to put pressure on basically everybody, including myself. I think he’s still not at a point where he can say that he’s distanced himself from his peers. He’s not quite consistent enough for that, but he’s a tough player.

Praggnanandhaa poses with the 2026 GCT Finals trophy. (Lennart Ootes/Grand Chess Tour)

Q: With AI, do you think the game will eventually be completely solved?

Magnus Carlsen: I’m not a computer expert, so I don’t know if it’s going to be solved. Chess is semi-solved in the sense that it can be a draw in a ton of ways. The margin is quite big. AI and computers in general have made the game a lot more accessible. You’re now able to follow it, see the score. You’re able to improve a lot faster. Specifically, I think for the pros, after an initial period of excitement, it’s made it even more accessible.

Q: Does Alireza Firouzja still excite you the most among the youngsters?

Magnus Carlsen: He’s not having the best turn of the year. For me, it’s fun to play all the youngsters.

Q: You spoke about the need for players to look at themselves as entertainers. How does the current generation face it?

Magnus Carlsen: I don’t know if they’re making conscious choices about it, but they’re doing very well. In that sense, chess is in very good hands.

Q: Would running chess interest you once you step away?

Magnus Carlsen: If somebody suggested that to me, I would probably rather return to the classical world championship than be an administrator. It’s not for me.

Magnus Carlsen and Javokhir Sindarov during the Global Chess League. (GCL)

Q: How has life been as a father?

Magnus Carlsen: I love it. My son is the greatest human being alive. It’s fantastic. It’s a joy every day. It’s a little bit sad to be away from him now, but I also have to provide for my family.

Q: Erling Haaland has invested in Norway Chess, and Gerard Pique has invested in a GCL team. How do you like this football-chess crossover?

Magnus Carlsen:It’s great. A lot of celebrities, not only in football, have an interest in chess, and it speaks of how chess has become part of popular culture a lot more in the last five seasons.

Q: India or the US, who is the team to beat at the Olympiad?

Magnus Carlsen: They’re all incredible, but considering what happened last time, I think India is the team to beat.

(The writer is in Bengaluru at the invitation of Global Chess League)