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A file photo of American chess champion and prodigy, the controversial and tempermental Bobby Fischer, arriving for his third match with Soviet world champion Boris Spassky in 1972 (Getty Images)
Fischer, of course, would go on to become one of chess’ foremost what-if men, never defending his crown; he’d wander Europe and Asia for decades, showing up every now and again to offer vitriol against, among other subjects, Jews and the U.S. (famously during 9/11). He’d die of kidney failure in Iceland in 2008. Being the next Bobby Fischer is not an uncomplicated aspiration.
Perhaps aware of Fischer’s reputation, Carlsen, during a comedic interview with Rainn Wilson said, “I’m only 21 years old so give me some time to develop the crazy.” But Carlsen, besides being handsome and well-spoken, appears to have his head on straight, and is held fast by the type of close-knit familial and managerial support that eluded Fischer.Add it up and Carlsen, whose first name means “the great,” represents chess’ best chance in over 40 years to return to international mindshare without a fastidious, political spectacle—and instead with positional, hard-nosed chess play.
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The first part—the well-adjusted bit, the charisma—makes him interesting to talk to. The second part—the generational brilliance and maturity—makes him worth listening to.
JZ: You were recently on a trip to New York City. Tell me some of the highlights.
Carlsen: I had a couple of really good burgers.
JZ: What do you take on your hamburgers? Cheese, bacon…?
Carlsen: Yeah – everything that’s good and unhealthy.
JZ: I saw on Twitter that you were wearing a Shaquille O’Neal jersey at a Celtics game [in February]. Is that your favorite basketball player?
Carlsen: [He’s] one of my favorites. I didn’t really start following until a few years ago, and when he was playing with the Celtics. I thought this is probably going to be his last season so it’s about time to get a jersey.
JZ: I happen to be from Boston, and you were right. That was the end of his [playing] career.
Carlsen: I thought that in general the atmosphere in Boston was absolutely amazing, especially when they beat the Lakers, of course. At one point in the third quarter they made a three-pointer and then Jeff Green made a block and a dunk at the other end. The building was just ecstatic at that point. And also the next game I saw in Boston, where the Celtics beat the Bulls, which was absolutely brutal offensively for three quarters and then they somehow ground it out in the fourth. That was amazing.
JZ: How did that compare with Madison Square Garden?
Carlsen: I think probably the New York fans are a little bit more spoiled in a way. You can feel the same thing in football or soccer—that for the best teams in Spain and England, for instance, the public… they’re not really going to cheer at all when they play against bad teams unless they do something spectacular. Even if they’re winning by a few goals they’ll probably just say, “nah.” That’s normal and they’re not excited about it. Maybe it’s a little bit of the same in New York, although they’re obviously not that used to winning there. They’re used to big stages and so on. It takes a little bit more to excite them.
