Magnus Carlsen Quotes & Sayings

My former coach, Simen Agdestein, used to be the best player in Norway. — Magnus Carlsen

I started by just sitting by the chessboard exploring things. I didn't even have books at first, and I just played by myself. I learnt a lot from that, and I feel that it is a big reason why I now have a good intuitive understanding of chess. — Magnus Carlsen

Self-confidence is very important. If you don't think you can win, you will take cowardly decisions in the crucial moments, out of sheer respect for your opponent. You see the opportunity but also greater limitations than you should. I have always believed in what I do on the chessboard, even when I had no objective reason to. It is better to overestimate your prospects than underestimate them. — Magnus Carlsen

You have to choose the move that feels right sometimes; that's what intuition is. — Magnus Carlsen

I don't consider myself a particularly young chess player. I have been playing in the best tournaments in the world since I was 16 years old. In other sports, if you have been playing for seven years, you are not a young prodigy any more. You're one of the pros. — Magnus Carlsen

All I expect are wins and to get pleasure from the game. And if someone thinks something about me, if someone's dissatisfied with something ... that's not my headache. I hope someday I'll become World Champion - and I'll make all these people happy. But even if for some reason that doesn't happen it won't stop me getting pleasure from chess. I'm sure of that. — Magnus Carlsen

People ask what my goal is. I don't have a goal. — Magnus Carlsen

I am not some sort of freak. I might be very good at chess but I'm just a normal person. — Magnus Carlsen

Unfortunately I'm still not a fashion expert. — Magnus Carlsen

I've never been much of a computer guy at least in terms of playing with computers. Actually until I was about 11 I didn't use a computer for preparing for games at all. I was playing a bit online, was using the chess club mainly. Now, obviously, the computer is an important tool for me preparing for my games. — Magnus Carlsen

I'm not really into rap. — Magnus Carlsen

Of course, analysis can sometimes give more accurate results than intuition but usually it's just a lot of work. I normally do what my intuition tells me to do. Most of the time spent thinking is just to double-check. — Magnus Carlsen

I enjoy hiking and skiing, like most Norwegians. In winter, there will be snow for months on end. In the summer, there are the long evenings to enjoy. — Magnus Carlsen

It's nice to be financially secure. Apart from that, I really don't care too much about money. — Magnus Carlsen

I spend hours playing chess because I find it so much fun. The day it stops being fun is the day I give up. — Magnus Carlsen

For me right now I think being the world number one is a bigger deal than being the world champion because I think it shows better who plays the best chess. That sounds self-serving but I think it's also right. — Magnus Carlsen

Not winning a tournament is not an option for me, unless it's no longer theoretically possible - then of course winning becomes impossible. But up to that point, not winning is just not an option. — Magnus Carlsen

I honestly don't read that much. Obviously I read chess books - in terms of favorites, Kasparov's 'My Great Predecessors' is pretty good. — Magnus Carlsen

I really enjoy the experience of playing humans. The psychological game is so much more important. — Magnus Carlsen

I don't think there is a thing like overconfidence in chess. It's always better to be too confident than too reluctant. — Magnus Carlsen

My father, a fine chess player himself, has been a massive influence throughout my life. — Magnus Carlsen

I feel sorry for players who are always lying awake at night, brooding over their games. — Magnus Carlsen

Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's okay to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless. — Magnus Carlsen

I am trying to beat the guy sitting across from me and trying to choose the moves that are most unpleasant for him and his style. — Magnus Carlsen

Maybe if I didn't have the talent in chess I'd find the talent in something else. The only thing I know is that I have talent in chess, and I'm satisfied with that. — Magnus Carlsen

The Nanjing games are homework by Garry Kasparov and me, [ ... ] Today's game was provided by Garry. — Magnus Carlsen

I learnt an enormous amount, but there came a point where I found there was too much stress. It was no fun any more. Outside of the chessboard I avoid conflict, so I thought this wasn't worth it. — Magnus Carlsen

I don't look at computers as opponents. For me it is much more interesting to beat humans. — Magnus Carlsen

There wasn't any particular player I modeled my game after. I tried to learn from everyone and create my own style. I studied past players. Truth be told I never had a favorite player. It's just not my nature to go around idolizing people. I just go try to learn. — Magnus Carlsen

Right now I'm really happy with how things are going with my chess career, so I'm not thinking of doing anything else. — Magnus Carlsen

What I admired most about him [Bobby Fischer] was his ability to make what was in fact so difficult look easy to us. I try to emulate him. — Magnus Carlsen

I got the travel bug when I was quite young. My parents took me and my sisters out of school and we travelled all over Europe. It was an eye-opening experience and, although I love Norway, I also enjoy visiting new countries. I don't get homesick. — Magnus Carlsen

Contrary to many young Colleagues, I do believe that it makes sense to study the Classics. — Magnus Carlsen

It's easy for me to get along with chess players. Even though we are all very different, we have chess in common. — Magnus Carlsen

One of the things that first attracted me to chess is that it brings you into contact with intelligent, civilized people - men of the stature of Garry Kasparov, the former world champion, who was my part-time coach. — Magnus Carlsen

I can't count the times I have lagged seemingly hopelessly far behind, and nobody except myself thinks I can win. But I have pulled myself in from desperate [situations]. When you are behind there are two strategies - counter-attack or all men to the defences. I'm good at finding the right balance between those. — Magnus Carlsen

You need to have that edge, you need to have that confidence, you need to have that absolute belief that you're the best and that you'll win every time. — Magnus Carlsen

I was lucky enough to attend schools where they were understanding about when I needed to go abroad to play chess. Of course, socially it is important to go to school and interact with people your own age. — Magnus Carlsen

Once you're a chess player, you spend a lot of time thinking about the game and you can't get it completely out of your head. — Magnus Carlsen

It's just not my nature to go around idolizing people. — Magnus Carlsen

I get more upset at losing at other things than chess. I always get upset when I lose at Monopoly. — Magnus Carlsen

Chess only appeals to quite a small minority. It does not have the cachet of a mainstream popular sport. — Magnus Carlsen

I played like a child. — Magnus Carlsen

If you want to get to the top, there's always the risk that it will isolate you from other people. — Magnus Carlsen

Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything. — Magnus Carlsen