Thinking without end: Magnus Carlsen enjoys his time. Image: dpa
Magnus Carlsen and his colleagues try something new: freestyle chess in the barn and without preparation. This is to win new fans. Traditionalists rail against the event on the Baltic Sea.
Fabiano Caruana usually spends his mornings in front of the computer at a chess tournament. The world number two analyzes positions that he assumes his opponent can put on the board, or he memorizes sequences of moves. He plans three hours for it, sometimes it takes longer.
With the GOAT Challenge, the strenuous and sometimes boring screen work is not necessary. The pawns start as usual on the second and seventh rows, but the basic lineup of the remaining pieces is drawn ten minutes before the start of the round. “Because I don’t have to prepare, I have more energy on the board. The games are more intense,” says the American.
