World’s best chess player Magnus Carlsen has been at the heart of the sport’s growing interest in Norway and will now attempt to have a similar impact globally with the most lucrative internet chess tournament in history.
The Magnus Carlsen Invitational from 18 April to 3 May features a $250,000 prize pot and will be broadcast on chess24.com with commentary in nine languages.
With most of the sports suspended across the globe due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Carlsen senses this is a golden opportunity to promote the sport.
“I simply want as many possible to discover chess and enjoy chess the way I do. The absence of all other sports from the media presents a unique opportunity,” Carlsen told GQ.
“We have been thinking about such a tournament for quite some time. But these special times have indeed served as a catalyst. The great reception news the tournament has gotten reflects that both top players and chess spectators needed a serious online alternative replacing physical tournaments right now,” he added.
Chess24, an online platform that facilitates learning and studying the game, has reported 200-300 percent more registrations on its site than prior to the pandemic. Similar online platforms like chess.com and lichess.com are also booming.
“In Norway chess is pretty big on TV,” says Carlsen.
“Both classical chess (World Championship matches) and World Rapid and Blitz Champs have been surprisingly popular. Elsewhere online chess coverage is the main source of chess entertainment and it is growing significantly,” he added.
The Magnus Carlsen Invitational that includes Carlsen and seven rivals will battle it out in rapid play format. The field also includes 16-year-old Iranian prodigy Alireza Firouzja.
Despite being a popular sport across the globe, the number of professionals in the game remains low. Carlsen though feels there is potential out there but the effort to pursue the sport is missing.
“Of course, there are multiple online players with the potential to become top-ten players even if they haven’t played regular chess face-to-face. I should add that I would be surprised if any of them are there yet. It is a long hard road to travel,” he said.
“I regularly play ‘Banter Blitz’ against premium members at Chess24 and sometimes I get quite impressed with players even if their rating is low. There is a lot of potential out there. But, when I come across really top-level play on an unknown chess account, usually, it actually is a top player with an anonymous account. I’ve done that myself in the past,” he added.