Magnus Carlsen Quotes

Unfortunately I'm still not a fashion expert.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

I'm not really into rap.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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