Chennai: Magnus Carlsen has been centrestage since he defeated Viswanathan Anand for his first world title on Friday . From casual fans to hard-nosed reporters, everyone at the venue wanted a piece of Carlsen.
Crowned the 20th world chess champion at a brief prize distribution ceremony here on Monday, the young and energetic Carlsen is expected to rule the world for at least another two decades.
Excerpts from an interview:
What does this title mean to you?
It means a great deal. Especially, the last year, I very much wanted to play in the world championship cycle and to win the world title. It's really a dream come true.
Was the match easier than expected?
I thought the match was probably hard at the start. In the first game, Vishy introduced a novelty in an obscure way . So when I was discussing the game with him afterwards, I was very impressed with everything he had seen and how fast he had seen them all.
What was the turning point?
Games 3 and 4, when I managed to settle down and I felt, he was a bit nervous. I man aged to steer those two games to my path. We played for longer hours and I was able to press hard. I think from then on, I did take the tempo of the match and it went very well.
You were not keen on agreeing to draws? Why was that?
I feel that we should play till there is no play left.
Apart from chess preparation, what else helped you?
I think I was pretty much relaxed. I watched movies in between the games and also did some sports. I tried not to think too much about the result.
You have named Kramnik and Aronian as your prospective challengers next year. Why doesn't Anand's name figure in that list?
First of all you have to find out if Vishy is playing in the Candidates tournament. Apart from that I think, all though he is one of the all-time greats, his results have lately been not too good. And you need some time to readjust to the above to make a comeback. If he is able to play at the highest level, then I think, he can make a comeback. But right now, I don't think he is inspired enough.
Who do you owe this title to?
I think I owe it to everyone who helped me during the match.
My team, my seconds, my family members especially my father Henrik, who attended to all my needs, however unreasonable they were.
Are you happy with this world championship format?
I think anything between 12 and 16 games is fine. More than that is probably a bit too much. In this modern age, 12 games is perfect.
The next world championship is scheduled for November 2014?Is it on your mind now?
I am already thinking about it. That is part of the reason I am not revealing my seconds. They will be part of my team next year also.
What are you plans for next year apart from defending the title?
I would like to play a number of tournaments. I want to confirm my position as world no. 1 and continue to work.
Do you look forward to dominate the world like Emanuel Laskar, who was world champion for 27 years?
I don't know. But it is true that I have quite a lead in the world rankings and I am the world champion. Definitely, I am the man to beat for some time now.
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