“Carlsen is missing an epic rivalry like Kasparov’s with Karpov”

the phone of David Llada smoke. The Spaniard justifies it by warning that “chess is experiencing an exceptionally good situation. More than a boom is a trend. It has grown with the appearance of the internet and some formats such as Twitter, which allow us to get inside the heads of the champions during the games because they explain what they are thinking. In addition, the confinement caused many people to recover chess, to take refuge in it. And then ‘queen’s gambit‘ unleashed the perfect storm.”

With more than two centuries of history behind it, @AteneoDeMadrid, whose full name is “Scientific, Literary and Artistic Athenaeum of Madrid”, is a leading institution in the history of Spain dedicated to culture. Einstein, Marie Curie, and many others have passed through it. pic.twitter.com/2XZvCjePAQ

— David Llada ♞ (@davidllada) January 18, 2022

excuses and ego

Llada is in love with chess, a sport he plays, photography and the one he writes about. One of the things that seduces him is that “there are no excuses in defeat. You can’t blame the referee or bad luck. There is you and your rival. He is brutally honest and makes you critical of yourself. If someone beats you because they are faster or stronger it hurts, but if they do it because they are smarter it stings more. Because your ego hurts. Not even the taste of five victories compensates for the pain of a defeat in chess.

He reluctantly admits that one learns more from defeat, but remembers that “Kasparov said: ‘When we make a mistake, we all analyze what we did wrong. But when we win, people don’t stop to reflect’. One of his strengths was always analyzing what made him better than the others”.

These days there is talk again of what Lasker Y Capablanca baptized as “death by tables” of chess: too many draws are signed in very playable games. For David, “the format of the tournaments invites us not to take risks. If the professionals know that there are draws in 15 moves, they don’t push. Although those who squeeze, usually find a reward. Carlsen is the great example of it. He is a player who does not try to win from the opening, but looks for a playable position, a situation of imbalance so that there is play on the board. He squeezes every position with optimism.” A boost that makes him the successor of Fisherand in the leader of the ranking: “magnus He always asks difficult questions on the board, gives you difficult challenges and gives you the opportunity to be wrong. I wouldn’t say it’s risky. Persist.”

Call me mr five times pic.twitter.com/t6PVx2rC91

— Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) December 12, 2021

best in history

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Is Carlsen the best player in history over Fisher or Kasparov? For the FIDE man “it’s hard to argue that it isn’t already. The only thing missing is a rivalry like Fischer’s with the Russians or the epic of the Kasparov-Karpov. His next challenger will be from his generation, but the one who must take the crown from him is someone from the new generation.” Comparisons are no longer made with predecessors, now the virtues of various chess players are combined. TO Carlsen they attribute to him “Karpov’s technique and Fischer’s drive”.

The Norwegian, somewhat unmotivated in defending a crown he has worn since 2013, has discovered a rival who seduces him: the 17-year-old Franco-Iranian, Alireza Firouzja. Llada highlights “his tactical genius. It is a mixture of Karpov Y Such, two teachers who have nothing to do with each other. Alireza has spark. Even Carlsen praises his genius in rapid games. A rival told me that Magnus can’t stand being bored. He needs new challenges. And having a talented rival, 13 years younger is. It is a challenge he has never faced before. Just what he needs… And chess”.