Magnus Carlsen has no intention of slowing down his involvement in chess, even as the five-time world champion acknowledges that his days at the highest level of the sport are numbered. However, he has told the sport to start looking towards life without him.
The Norwegian, widely regarded as the undisputed king of modern chess, has embraced the game’s changing landscape and the emergence of new formats. However, he believes organisers should look beyond his personal preferences when deciding how the sport should evolve.
“Look, I think there are a lot of positives in the chess world these days.”
“Over the last 5-6 years, there have been a lot of new chess fans all around the world, and we’re still trying to find the right formats to present the game.
“For me, it’s interesting to be part of those innovations, but it’s not necessarily an overarching goal,” said Carlsen.
The 35-year-old Carlsen has stepped away from the classical World Championship cycle and has increasingly focused on rapid chess and select high-profile events. He will now be back in action in Season 4 of the Global Chess League (GCL), a competition whose faster format particularly appeals to him.
While his enthusiasm for tournaments can vary, Carlsen stressed that organisers should not design the future of chess around him, especially with his career at the top entering its later stages.
“I’m motivated for tournaments — sometimes more than other times, which is plain to see in how I approach them.
“But it kind of is what it is now. What’s more important for the future of chess is that you (organisers) shouldn’t necessarily try things because of what I want to do or what motivates me. There’s a pretty limited time frame in terms of when I’m going to be around as well,” said Carlsen.
Despite that, the Norwegian remains keen to compete and is especially excited about returning to the GCL. The rapid format allows him to continue testing himself in a style of chess that has increasingly become a priority.
“For now, I like to play and I’m looking forward to competing here. It’s a similar time format to what I was successful in recently,” said Carlsen.
The upcoming GCL season will feature six franchises battling through a double round-robin league phase, with the top teams progressing to the knockout stage for a shot at the title.
Each franchise will field six players across six boards at the same time. The line-up will consist of one Icon, two Superstar Men, two Superstar Women and one Prodigy player.
Matches will be played under a rapid time control, with each player receiving 20 minutes and a two-second increment kicking in from the 41st move.
The league also has a unique scoring system. A victory with the Black pieces is worth four game points, while a win with White earns three. A draw gives both players one point.
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