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Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian chess prodigy turned global icon, is widely regarded as the greatest player in the history of the sport. His dominance has been nothing short of extraordinary — holding the world’s No. 1 spot in FIDE rankings continuously since July 1, 2011, marking the longest streak in chess history. With a peak rating of 2882, the highest ever recorded, Carlsen’s name is etched alongside legends like Garry Kasparov, trailing him only in total time spent as the top-rated player.
Yet, beyond statistics, what truly makes Carlsen a generational phenomenon? Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa recently shed light on the unique attributes that place the Norwegian far ahead of his peers.
R Praggnanandhaa: “He usually plays the top three choices of the computer”
Speaking on a YouTube podcast, Praggnanandhaa explained:
“Magnus Carlsen has this intuition in every position which is just amazing. Like when you actually see his game — even in shorter formats — he usually plays the top three choices of the computer every single time. That intuition is something that he developed over a period of time. He’s one of the players who knows a lot of classics from the past.”
“He has read a lot and I think that’s one thing he has that helps him. Also mentally he’s really strong. You can never see him collapse in a tournament completely. Even when you actually make a mistake when he’s lost he’s there fighting every chance he’s getting and he pushes till the end like he tries every resource that’s possible.”
A relentless fighter who redefined endgames
R Praggnanandhaa pointed out Carlsen’s revolutionary approach to positions previously deemed “dead draws” by top players:
“When he was coming up, he was playing these end games which people in earlier days thought it was completely fine. They will just make draws because of mutual respect for the players. They’ll think it’s okay no one is going to win this. Let’s make an early draw. But Magnus started playing all those positions. He started grinding and then started winning also. So he’s just universally strong and he’s mentally also strong which is really…”
This hunger to keep fighting — even in equal positions — has become one of Magnus Carlsen’s defining traits, earning him countless victories where others would have settled for peace.
Magnus Carlsen has style like no other
When asked about their differences, R Praggnanandhaa admitted:
“I have never thought about this actually. If I have to speak about the style, he’s more of an intuitive player. His intuition is so good. Even though my intuition suggests a move, I usually try to go in details. It’s possible that I can catch him there because he hasn’t gone into the details. Sometimes intuition can also be wrong and I can catch him. Our games are always exciting.”
The legacy Continues
Magnus Carlsen is a five-time World Chess Champion and five-time World Rapid Champion, with countless tournament wins to his name. Although he chose not to defend his world title in 2023 due to a lack of motivation, his influence on the game remains unmatched. Whether or not he participates in future Candidates tournaments, his position in the pantheon of chess greatness is secure.
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