“My passion for chess is still very great,” says the national idol and number one undisputed Magnus Carlsen, who this Friday won Norway Chess for the sixth time in Stavanger (Norway). The contrast with the world champion, the Chinese Liren Ding, could not be greater: “My passion has gone down a lot, but I want to get it back.” His compatriot and also his champion, Wenjun Ju, clearly triumphed in the women’s tournament.
With three wins in the slow games, five in the fast tiebreaker (sudden death or Armageddonwith 10 minutes for white, forced to win, and 7 for black) and a defeat (in a slow game), against the Indian prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, 18 years old, Carlsen rises 1.8 points on the world list.
Although the Norwegian has not explicitly said that he will never again play a Candidates Tournament to regain the title, which he renounced in 2022, those close to him see little interest in classical chess (slow games) unless the International Federation (FIDE) dares to innovate, transforming the World Championship from that modality into a combination of slow, fast and blitz chess.
On the other hand, since their courtship became public, Carlsen seems more accessible, friendly and interactive. And his statement about the passion he continues to feel for his work suggests that he does not give up on equaling or surpassing Gari Kasparov’s most amazing feat: being the number one for twenty consecutive years; The Scandinavian would have to remain in that position for another six or seven (there are some technical nuances that complicate the calculation). In Norway Chess, the American Hikaru Nakamura kept his chances of winning the tournament until the end, but failed in the last rounds, although he rises to the top number two from the ranks, taking advantage of the poor form of his compatriot Fabiano Caruana.
Ding, the last standout with results that include six consecutive defeats (four slow and two fast), is right now the antithesis of Carlsen. The tremendous psychological, physical and technical effort that he had to make to become world champion a year ago, a few months after breaking up with his girlfriend, has taken a very expensive toll on him. “Before I was not so emotional. But some things happened in my life, and now I suffer a lot when I lose, I get very sad and angry,” he admits in an interview a few days ago in Stavanger with the Indian newspaper. Hindustan Times.
The Asian confirms the serious sleeping problems he suffered for eight or nine months after defeating the Russian Ian Niepómniashi in an epic and frenetic tiebreaker in Astana (Kazakhstan) on April 30, 2023: “I went to a doctor, took medicine and recovered physically,” he emphasizes. But he adds: “My passion for chess went down a lot. Now I have to reset and return to winning mode. “What has been seen in Stavanger is the worst version of me.”
Ding does not talk at any time about the possibility of giving up the title, and does announce that he will resume his training as soon as he returns to China. He is greatly inspired by the example of the Italian footballer Federico Chiesa, from Juventus: “I adore Chiesa. Even though he suffered serious injuries in recent years, he has recovered. He can even play in the Euro Cup. I trust that he will do well.”
Wenjun Ju, world champion and number one For practical purposes – her compatriot Yifán Hou continues to head the list but is almost retired because she prefers to work as a professor at a Chinese university – she has won the women’s Norway Chess (endowed for the first time with the same amount of prize money as the absolute one, about 150,000 euros) and has also confirmed that it is the best prepared.
The Ukrainian Anna Muzychuk, resident in Valencia (Spain), has emerged with great vigor from her recent crisis of results (as has the French Alireza Firouzja in the absolute tournament after announcing that now chess is once again her priority, above his fashion design studies). And the Swedish Pía Cramling, 29th in the world at 61 years old, has confirmed – despite her last place – that she is an exceptional case of sporting longevity in the elite: no slow victories, but seven draws, and two wins in he Armageddon against very strong rivals.
Results (10th and last round).-
In Norway Chess, every game that ends in a draw is immediately followed (less than 20 minutes) by a Armageddon, with 10 minutes for the white pieces and 7 for the black pieces; In the event of a new tie, the black player wins. Victory in the slow game gives 3 points (zero for the loser); in Armageddon, 1.5 (1 for the loser).
Absolute tournament: Carlsen – Caruana, draw, 1-0; Praggnanandhaa – Nakamura, draw, 1-0; Ding – Firouzja, draw, 0-1.
Women’s tournament: Vaishali – Cramling, planks, planks; A. Muzychuk – Koneru, draw, 1-0; Ju – Lei, 1-0.
Final classifications.-
Absolute tournament: 1st Carlsen 17.5; 2nd Nakamura 14.5; 3rd Firouzja 13.5; 4th Praggnanandhaa 13; 5th Caruana 11.5; 6th Ding 7.
Women’s tournament: 1st Ju 19 points; 2nd A. Muzychuk 16; 3rd Lei 14.5; 4th Vaishali 12.5 points; 5th Koneru 10; 6th Cramling 8.
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