It turns out there’s quite a difference between being great versus being merely good. In the world of chess, that difference is often personified by Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world champion. His recent withdrawal from the World Championship, and subsequent comments on chess and competition, have sparked renewed interest in what sets him apart. In a recent interview, Carlsen offered a glimpse into his unique relationship with the game, highlighting the obsessive dedication that has fueled his unparalleled success.
“The difference between me and other kids is that they would go to chess practice. They would maybe even do their homework. But they weren’t living and breathing the game in the way that I was,” Carlsen explained on the Joe Rogan podcast.
This “living and breathing” isn’t a mere figure of speech for Carlsen. It’s a constant state of being. “I think about (chess) all the time,” he confessed. “I’m thinking about the game while I’m sitting on this chair. I’m still analyzing a game that I played today.” The game, it seems, never truly leaves him. “It never goes completely out of my mind,” Carlsen stated.
He acknowledged that this level of immersion isn’t entirely unique to him. “I think a lot of very good chess players do that,” he admitted. However, he implied a crucial distinction. While other strong players might dedicate significant time and mental energy to chess, Carlsen’s all-consuming passion seems to transcend even that. The casual chess player, content with occasional games and analysis, can never reach the heights of someone for whom the game is an ever-present companion.
This constant analysis and reflection, this inability to fully disconnect, is perhaps the key to understanding Carlsen’s dominance. Carlsen is currently the top-rated chess player in the world across all formats, and is thought by many to be the best player in the history of the game. He’s dominated the chess scene for so long that he no longer plays tournaments like the World Championship, choosing to spend more time on the more challenging Rapid and Blitz events. And it seems that his complete and total obsession with the game is one of the factors that’s got him there.