8/15/2019 dw_com
1/4
D W . C O M I NL A N G U A G E S
D W A K A D E M I E A B O U TD W
D I G I T A L C U L T U R E
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen: 'Thecomputer never has been an opponent'
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen will be defending his title this fall against his
Russian challenger, Sergey Karjakin. The 25-year-old Norwegian tells DW how he wants to
make chess more accessible to everyone.
DW: Since the end of March, you've known that you will be competing against the Russian Sergey
Karjakin at the World Chess Championship in November. Have you already started preparing?
Magnus Carlsen: I cannot say that I've already started my preparation. I've started thinking about it.
But my main focus now is on the next tournaments that I have.
When do you plan to begin?
Probably some concrete preparations will begin in May. A lot of the preparation will be in Norway,
maybe some other places as well. But the base will be in Norway.
How important are computer programs for your preparation?
Computers are very important for sure. All the analysis I've done has been with the help of the
computers. You constantly need them.
When you practice chess, do you sit in front of the computer most of the time or do you play on a
traditional chess board?
My practice at home is with the computer. When I study chess with other people, we always have achess board. But on my own, it's always at the computer.
Were you surprised that Sergey Karjakin won the Candidates Tournament in March in Moscow?
I was not very surprised that Karjakin won.
While he had the most tournament wins, I
Date 14.04.2016
Author Interview: Klaudia
Prevezanos
Keywords Magnus Carlsen, Chess,
FIDE, Sergey Karjakin, Digital Culture
Share Send Facebook
Twitter Google+ More
Send us your feedback.
Print Print this page
Permalink http://dw.com/p/1IVAY
S P E C I A L
Pop hits that conquered the
globe
This analysis of the German pop
scene's success abroad is
unprecedented in scope.
V I D E O
RADAR
Each week our Arts.21 reporters
scour Germany's cultural scene and
present you with a selection of their
best finds.
F I L M
Charlie Chaplin museum
opens in Switzerland
He shook up the silent film world
DeutscheWelle
GERMANY WORLD BUSINESS SCI-TECH ENVIRONMENT CULTURE SPORTS
TOP STORIES / CULTURE / DIGITAL CULTURE
Search TOP STORIES
TOP STORIES MEDIA CENTER PROGRAM LEARN GERMAN
http://window.print%28%29/https://plus.google.com/share?hl=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fworld-chess-champion-magnus-carlsen-the-computer-never-has-been-an-opponent%2Fa-19186058%3Fmaca%3Den-google%252B-sharinghttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=webclient&text=World+chess+champion+Magnus+Carlsen%3A+%27The+computer+never+has+been+an+opponent%27+http%3A%2F%2Fdw.com%2Fp%2F1IVAY%3Ftw&via=dwnewshttp://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fp%2F1IVAY%3Ffbhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/digital+culture/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/sergey+karjakin/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/fide/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/chess/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/magnus+carlsen/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/digital-culture/s-101407http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/culture/s-1441http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/s-9097http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/sports/s-8171http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/culture/s-1441http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/environment/s-11798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/sci-tech/s-12526http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/business/s-1431http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/world/s-1429http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/germany/s-1432http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/learn-german/s-2469http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/program/s-1452-9798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/media-center/s-100824http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/s-9097http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/s-9097http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/profile/s-30688http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/about-us/s-9519
8/15/2019 dw_com
2/4
Sergey Karjakin won the Candidates Tournament for theupcoming World Chess Championship in November in
New York
always considered him one of the favorites in
this tournament. He has very strong, very good
nerves and he defended extremely well. So I
thought he would be perfect for this kind of
tournament, and also at home in Russia he had
an extra advantage.
Sergey Karjakin just pulled out of the Norway
chess super tournament - at very short notice.
The tournament begins on April 18. Were you
surprised or do you understand why he decided
to do this?
I can understand that he didn't want to play the tournament after all. But I think contracts should be
honored. From my own experience, I know that I don't want to agree to tournaments very shortly after
such a tournament. Sometimes after such a trial you will have some positive feelings from having done
well and might still have some energy left. But most of the time you will be just drained - mentally and
physically - and so it's not a good idea to sign up for tournaments so quickly after such an event.
Or do you think maybe he is a bit afraid to play against you before the World Championship?
No, I mean I have played against Sergey in tournaments since we were both 13 years old. So we know each other well, and I don't think anything would happen in our games. If we played one game now, I
don't think that would heavily influence how we evaluate each other as chess players.
For the Candidates Tournament, the commercial partner of the World Chess Federation (FIDE),
Agon, decided for the first time to allow the online live transmission of the games from the Agon
platform only. It didn't work well and of course excluded other platforms. Do you think it was the
right decision?
I think in principle it's a good idea that the organizers have rights that they can sell. But yes,
unfortunately this time it didn't work very well. And then it obviously doesn't look very good.
Do you expect the same exclusive online live transmission for the World Chess Championship in New
York City as well?
I don't really know, but I expect them to evaluate what was happening now in Moscow and to do a
much better job next time.
Both chess - and more recently the Asian game of Go - are now played better by computers than by
humans, even by the very best like you. Does that take away the magic of brain games like chess?
Yes, to some extent it takes a bit of the mysticism away. But as for chess, we've known for a long time
that computers are better, so the computer never has been an opponent. It's a tool to help me analyze
and to help me improve at chess.
Would you participate in a public game against a computer in the near future - or is that not an
option for you? The last one I remember was Vladimir Kramnik against Deep Fritz in 2006.
I personally never wanted that. I find it much more interesting to play humans. And also, of course,
now that they have become so strong in a game like that, I wouldn't stand a chance.
You're quite popular among young people in Germany and elsewhere. You already do some activities
to make chess more popular among children, like visiting chess classes in schools, and releasing your
Play Magnus app. You also have marketing experience. Wouldn't you like to be the one who makes
chess a really cool sport with a proper marketing campaign?
Yes, I try to bring chess to more people around the world, and I have very good people working with
me. I guess also the most important thing for me is to continue to play well. If I cannot be the best
chess player that I can be, I cannot make chess more accessible.
You do advertisements for clothes, cars and other things. You also registered your name as a
trademark. When will the first products with your name and label enter the market?
We already have the Play Magnus app, and there will be more of Play Magnus coming. But if you are
by playing the tramp and was
banned from the US for two
decades. Now a museum is opening
at Charlie Chaplin's former villa in
rural Switzerland - complete with a
cinema.
B O O K S
That Shakespeare Rhythm
Is it possible to translate
Shakespeare’s incomparable
English into incomparable
German? Frank Günther manages
it better than any other. He gets it
all right: the feel, rhythm and
sound of the Bard's powerful words.
M U S I C
Aerodrums – Drumming
without drumsFirst came the air-guitar, now there
are Aerodrums. A British start-up
has mated a high-speed camera
with a computer program to turn
out licks without ever even
touching a drum.
A R T S
Avantgarde Shakespeare
Two very exciting German-
language Shakespeare productions
can currently be seen at Berlin’s
Schaubühne theatre. We interview
the man behind them, director
Thomas Ostermeier.
D I G I T A L C U L T U
8/15/2019 dw_com
3/4
The first and only German World Chess Champion
Emanuel Lasker
Date 14.04.2016
Author Interview: Klaudia Prevezanos
thinking of clothes or something - I don't think that is going to happen very soon.
Emanuel Lasker was the first and only German world chess champion so far - from 1894 to 1921.
That is more than 100 years ago. Is there anything the German chess scene can learn from Norway
and your career?
I think there are definitely enough chess players in
Germany. There is a lot of interest. It seems to me
that there is decent interest among young people.
In Norway, we have a policy of letting the kids do
what they want. And it's always supposed to be fun.
I don't know how it is in Germany, but I think that
is very important.
Germany has a long tradition of taking chess
seriously as a sport. Why do you think countries
like Russia, and now China and India, seem to be
doing a lot better than Germany?
I don't really know. Russia always had great chess traditions. And in China there are millions of kids
playing chess. In Germany, it seems to me that there are a lot of chess players, but the emphasis has
always been on chess as an amateur sort of activity.
Your opponent in November, Sergey Karjakin, was born in Ukraine and moved to Russia. Do you
think that the World Championship match will be seen a little bit like a Cold War match between the
West vs. Russia - like Bobby Fischer against Boris Spassky in 1972?
There are certainly some political differences, but personally I've always had a good relationship with
Karjakin. We have always been rivals, but we've never had any problems with each other. So for me,
the political part is not really part of it.
You're a great football fan. The European Championships are coming up and Norway has not
qualified. Will you be supporting Germany, the other World Champion?
Germany has a good team, but they haven't been very good recently. We'll see what happens, but I likethe German team a lot. They play wonderful football.
The Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen, born in 1990, became world chess champion in
2013 at the age of 22 and has managed to defend his title since. The next Chess World Championship
takes place from November 11-30, 2016, in New York City. Carlsen will be competing against 26-
year-old Russian Sergey Karjakin, who won the opportunity to challenge the world champion in
March 2016. Carlsen was considered a child prodigy. In 2010 at age 19, he became the youngest
player to reach number one on the FIDE world chess ranking, which he maintained since July 2011.
D W R E C O M M E N D S
Humans vs. computers: The ancient pastime of strategy games
A computer called AlphaGo is competing against human South Korean Go champion Lee Sedol this week. Here's
how strategy games came about thousands of years ago - and where humans are weakest. (09.03.2016)
Game Over! AlphaGo defeats S. Korean grandmaster at Go
A computer program has claimed victory over another pre-eminent Go champion after winning its third
consecutive game. DeepMind's executive hailed Lee Sedol's "incredible genius" despite the Go champion's loss.
(12.03.2016)
Garry Kasparov: "Putin runs Russia like the mafia"
Since retiring from professional chess in 2005, Garry Kasparov has become one of the most prominent voices in
Russia’s pro-democracy movement. On DW's "Interview", the youngest chess world champion in history speaks
out. (23.10.2015)
World chess champion
Magnus Carlsen: 'The
computer never has been
an opponent' World chess champion Magnus
Carlsen will be defending his title
this fall against his Russian
challenger, Sergey Karjakin. The
25-year-old Norwegian tells DW
how he wants to make chess more
accessible to everyone.
L I F E S T Y L E
Your favorite subjects on
Euromaxx!
This week you revealed to us what
you like to watch most on
Euromaxx. To find out which lucky
participants will receive a small
"thank you", click here:
M O R E C U L T U R E
Film
Books
Music
Arts
Digital Culture
Lifestyle
8/15/2019 dw_com
4/4
Keywords Magnus Carlsen, Chess, FIDE, Sergey Karjakin, Digital Culture
Share Send Facebook Twitter Google+ More
Feedback: Send us an e-mail. Please include your name and country in your reply.
Print Print this page
Permalink http://dw.com/p/1IVAY
The success of streaming
services 12.04.2016
10 years after the founding of music
streaming service Spotify,
streaming has gone mainstream.
The video and music platforms try to set themselves apart from their
competitors by offering the best
playlists.
Social robots become part
of the family 12.04.2016
Social robots are being marketed as
cute household helpers or
playmates for children. Several
models are coming onto the marketin 2016 and demand is high. But
these social robots have some
downsides, too.
Face-swapping app
MSQRD 12.04.2016
With the MSQRD app, users can
project a funny mask onto a face by
placing a live filter over videos or
photos. The app lets you transform yourself into a monkey, a zombie, a
superhero or even your best friend!
M O R E C O N T E N T
TOP STORIES
Germany
World
Business
Sci-Tech
Environment
Culture
Sports
A - Z Index
MEDIA CENTER
Live TV
All media content
Latest Programs
Podcasts
PROGRAM
What's on TV?
TV Program Guide
TV Programs
Video on Demand
LEARN GERMAN
German Courses
German XXL
Community D
Teaching German
ABOUT DW
Who we are
Press
Business & Sales
Advertising
Hotels
MORE DW
Service
Reception
Mobile
Newsletters & Co.
FAQ
DW AKADEMIE
About us
Media Development
Master's Degree
Traineeship
Training
© 2016 Deutsche Welle | Privacy Policy | Legal notice | Contact | Mobile version
http://m.dw.com/en/world-chess-champion-magnus-carlsen-the-computer-never-has-been-an-opponent/a-19186058http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/contacthttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/imprinthttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/data-privacy-policy/a-18265246http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/training/s-12125http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/traineeship/s-12130http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/masters-degree/s-12276http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/media-development/s-12120http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/about-us/s-9519http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/dw-akademie/about-us/s-9519http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/more-dw/faq/s-30600http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/newsletter-registration/a-15718229http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/more-dw/mobile/s-8733http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/more-dw/reception/s-6809http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/more-dw/service/s-9099http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/more-dw/service/s-9099http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/hotels/s-3972http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/advertising/s-101376http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/business-sales/s-3303http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/press/s-3293http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/profile/s-30688http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/about-dw/profile/s-30688http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/deutsch-lernen/deutsch-unterrichten/s-2233http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/deutsch-lernen/community-d/s-9035http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/deutsch-lernen/deutsch-xxl/s-12376http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/learn-german/german-courses/s-2547http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/learn-german/s-2469http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/program/video-on-demand/s-4756-9798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/program/tv-programs/s-9103-9798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/program/tv-program-guide/s-4757-9798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/program/whats-on-tv/s-9102-9798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/program/s-1452-9798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/media-center/podcasts/s-100977http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/media-center/latest-programs/s-100827http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/media-center/all-media-content/s-100826http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/media-center/live-tv/s-100825http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/media-center/s-100824http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/a-z-index/index-enhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/sports/s-8171http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/culture/s-1441http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/environment/s-11798http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/sci-tech/s-12526http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/business/s-1431http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/world/s-1429http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/germany/s-1432http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/en/top-stories/s-9097http://window.print%28%29/https://plus.google.com/share?hl=en&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fen%2Fworld-chess-champion-magnus-carlsen-the-computer-never-has-been-an-opponent%2Fa-19186058%3Fmaca%3Den-google%252B-sharinghttps://twitter.com/intent/tweet?source=webclient&text=World+chess+champion+Magnus+Carlsen%3A+%27The+computer+never+has+been+an+opponent%27+http%3A%2F%2Fdw.com%2Fp%2F1IVAY%3Ftw&via=dwnewshttp://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dw.com%2Fp%2F1IVAY%3Ffbhttp://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/digital+culture/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/sergey+karjakin/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/fide/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/chess/category/9097/http://localhost/var/www/apps/conversion/tmp/scratch_3/search/en/magnus+carlsen/category/9097/