Sport has shut down in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The football season is on hold and the Olympics postponed. Yet one of the world’s oldest games, chess, is enjoying a huge boost and has never been more fashionable.

With people encouraged to stay at home to minimise the spread of the virus, it has led to a surge in online chess activity. Leading the way is Magnus Carlsen and the world No1 will settle down in front of his computer at home in Oslo this week to compete in the most lucrative internet chess tournament in history.

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The Magnus Carlsen Invitational from 18 April to 3 May features a $250,000 prize pot and will be broadcast on chess24.com with commentary in nine languages. The 29-year-old and his seven rivals, which include 16-year-old Iranian prodigy Alireza Firouzja, will battle it out in fast-paced “rapid play” format and are expected to join the commentary team when they are not in action.

Carlsen describes it as an “historic moment” for a game which is versatile enough to be played on a wooden board, computer or phone. As the pandemic grips the world, he says he has a responsibility to players and fans “who need a distraction when no other live, competitive sport is being played”.

Would this tournament have happened regardless of the pandemic, though? “We have been thinking about such a tournament for quite some time,” he tells GQ. “But you are right, these special times have indeed served as a catalyst. The great reception news the tournament has gotten reflects that both top players and chess spectators needed a serious online alternative replacing physical tournaments right now.”

© Dean Mouhtaropoulos

He adds, “I simply want as many as possible to discover chess and enjoy chess the way I do. The absence of all other sports from the media presents a unique opportunity.”

The old-fashioned image of chess involves old men or geeky children pushing pieces around a board in a dusty village hall. When computers began beating the best humans in the 1990s, some also predicted the death of the game. But the opposite has happened with Carlsen, who has, among other things, modelled for G-Star Raw, helping to make chess cool.

Strong computer engines can help people improve their game, for example. Top players regularly stream their matches or lessons online. Chess24 was growing anyway but has reported 200-300 per cent more registrations on its site than prior to the pandemic, whereas rival chess platforms like chess.com and lichess.com are also booming.

© G STAR / Anton Corbijn

“In Norway chess is pretty big on TV,” says Carlsen. “Both classical chess (World Championship matches) and World Rapid and Blitz Champs have been surprisingly popular. Elsewhere online chess coverage is a main source of chess entertainment and it is growing significantly.”

When Carlsen settles down for the games in coming days, both he and his opponents will be surrounded by cameras in their homes to ensure there is no cheating. But what about possible distractions from, say, pets or the postman?

“I try to create a focused environment, but especially the camera, or camera/PC hardware-software combination, has been playing some tricks on me lately,” he says, smiling. “I haven’t taken it seriously enough and it’s become somewhat of a joke already among our viewers. That’s OK, but it’ll be fixed before the Magnus Carlsen Invitational.”

© Dean Mouhtaropoulos

In coming days the eight players will also take on ordinary players in online games for fun during the two-week tournament. This means you could effectively have a Rocky Balboa-style shot at the champion if you’re lucky enough to have your challenge accepted, although there will be no official title at stake, of course.

What tips does Carlsen have for players who are keen to improve? Firstly, the premium version of his Magnus Trainer app is going to be free for all during the tournament, while he advises, “Maybe the focus should be on the process and to enjoy learning rather than on results.

“I don’t believe in one size fits all. But, if your problem is dropping pawns and pieces, any practice – playing, watching or thinking about chess – will help. If you are slightly more advanced, I’m taking the liberty of advertising our own chessable.com with the intuitive and low-threshold MoveTrainer technology.

© G STAR / Anton Corbijn

“Getting a coach and reviewing your own games can be powerful as well. We’re developing a new platform where people can find the right coach and interact online from home for this at cochess.com.”

If you’re a rookie player should you try longer, slower games or faster rapid, blitz or bullet formats? “For beginners,” says Carlsen, “I recommend trying different time controls and find a pace you enjoy. Or, if you want to avoid time controls altogether, my Play Magnus app has a level for any player and you can spend the time you want.”

Very occasionally even the chess god Carlsen is beaten by mere mortals. Although this is usually in simultaneous displays where he takes on multiple opponents at once, sometimes wearing a blindfold.

“Yes, I blunder and lose games too, but fortunately not very often,” he admits. “As a top player you simply need to hate losing, but that is more relevant against other top players. I’m OK with the occasional loss in simuls.”

© Dean Mouhtaropoulos

On the prospect of being turned over by “an unknown”, he continues, “The chess rules are known by a significant part of the world population and hundreds of millions have played or play chess somewhat regularly. But, as with most other sports, the fraction of people that have put in enough effort to reach close to their potential is probably quite low in chess as well.

“Of course, there are multiple online players with the potential to become top-ten players even if they haven’t played regular chess face-to-face. I should add that I would be surprised if any of them are there yet. It is a long hard road to travel.

“I regularly play ‘Banter Blitz’ against premium members at Chess24 and sometimes I get quite impressed with players even if their rating is low. There is a lot of potential out there. But, when I come across really top-level play on an unknown chess account, usually, it actually is a top player with an anonymous account. I’ve done that myself in the past.”

The Magnus Carlsen Invitational runs from 18 April to 3 May. For more information, visit chess24.com

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