Magnus Carlsen the young Norwegian challenger, playing tonight for one more step to win the world chess title over the long-standing Indian champ Vishy Anand. He has won so far with his natural boa-constrictor pressure, often winning in hour 6 or 7. His fitness training has been telling in maintaining deadly accuracy against a flagging opponent. Why does all this matter? Well, these chess games are like poems, handed down over generations. They usually record some surrounding history of the era. From the Soviet era mechanical style, bested by the flamboyant American Bobby Fischer of the 60s, to the post-modern style of the 1920s, which live on today despite their contrarian ideas. Magnus is new though, 23 years old and playing with a cold-hearted pragmatism and precision not seen before. His games have no pizazz, but he will calmy walk a knife edge. Hes prepared to wait hours for the tiniest slip, and then consign his opponent to a bleak, almost sad 4 hours of defending the fallout. The combination of patience and creativity to lay a torturous series of hidden pitfalls for the poor bastard up the other end, has been described by his peers as sombre, melancholy, and swampy. He beat them all and then overcame nerves in front of 200 million Indian viewers, to write a new page in history. Well maybe tonight anyway. His games will set a new example for the next generation. Hopefully his fitness work will be featured in the post match press that is building around him! en.chessbase/Portals/4/files/news/2013/chennai/anand-carlsen-rd10-14.jpg
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 09:29:50 +0000
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