The undisputed chess king from 1985 to 2000 and a former child prodigy himself, Kasparov retired in 2005.
Chessbase says it was the Norwegian newspaper VG that broke the news. Anand, Topalov, Kramnik and the rest of the world’s elite now know that the new kid on the block means business.
“You will not find a bigger name than Kasparov nor a more competent coach,” former Carlsen mentor GM Simen Agdestein was quoted as saying.
The collaboration, according to VG, has been under way for six months, confirms Magnus Carlsen himself. “He will not reveal what the training program costs, but confirms that it is expensive.”
Here’s the rest of the VG report:
“Now…Agdestein, is working full time to find sponsors for Carlsen. ‘This is the king training his crown prince,’ [he] said…. ‘While Kasparov is a living legend, Carlsen is the biggest attraction that exists in the chess world today. This is the Dream Team.’
“Cooperation with Kasparov is initially intended to last throughout the coming year, with a possibility of extension. On Sept. 15 Kasparov will be coming to Norway for another training session with Carlsen, who has been twice to Moscow visiting Kasparov. This summer Carlsen spent 14 days at Kasparov’s summer residence in Croatia.
“ ‘With so many victories coming relatively easily to his immense talent and fighting spirit, the final crucial ingredient of relentless work will guarantee his place in history,’ Kasparov told VG. He believes that Carlsen is already very close to being number one, despite his young age. ‘In six months of working with Magnus I have seen in him many of the qualities of the great champions,’ Kasparov adds.
“It is estimated that Kasparov earned over $30 million during his chess career, and has a staff of 20 people working for him, including chauffeurs, bodyguards and cooks. After retiring, he has written several books on chess and become involved in politics. But it is not money that runs Kasparov. ‘He is training just one person in the world, and it is Carlsen, because he believes Carlsen is the player with the most talent out there,’ says Agdestein, who helped find the first sponsor for 13-year-old Carlsen. ‘My job now is to make Magnus a very attractive object for the market and pick the right sponsors, who can build a brand,’ says Agdestein.
“Magnus Carlsen said that he looks forward to working with Kasparov. ‘He has an extreme capacity for work, extreme determination to win and extreme perfectionism,’ said Carlsen. ‘Now I hope to be get more of these properties for myself. The goal is to become number one in the world.’ ”
Game of the week. Five years ago, the two met for the first time over the board in a rapid game. Magnus was only 13 at the time. Almira Skripchenko annotates.
White: M. Carlsen (2484)
Black: G. Kasparov (2831)
Queen’s Gambit Declined
Reykjavik 2004
1.d4. Carlsen probably wants to avoid the Najdorf against Kasparov. 1…d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7. The Botvinnik System, 5…dxc4, is the sharpest line available here. Is Kasparov afraid to play something as dangerous as this against a child who calculates like a computer? 6.e3 Qa5. Kasparov plays the Cambridge Springs, which is not as volatile as the Botvinnik. 7.Nd2 Bb4 8.Qc2 0-0 9.Be2 e5 10.0-0 exd4 11.Nb3 Qb6 12.exd4 dxc4 13.Bxc4 a5. 14.a4 Qc7 15.Rae1 h6 16.Bh4 Bd6 17.h3 Nb6. 17…g5? is met by 18.Qg6+ 18.Bxf6 Nxc4 19.Ne4 Bh2+. 19…Be6 20.Nxd6 Nxd6 is actually better than what happened in the game. 20.Kh1 Nd6 21.Kxh2 Nxe4+ 22.Be5 Nd6 23.Qc5. 23.d5 Rd8 24.Nd4 wins a pawn, because 24…Bd7 loses to 25.Nb5. 23…Rd8 24.d5 Qd7 25.Nd4 Nf5 26.dxc6 bxc6 27.Nxc6 Re8 28.Rd1 Qe6 29.Rfe1 Bb7. The kid has Kasparov sweating, but he sees that after 30.Nxa5 there are enormous complications arising from 30…Bxg2 When you are a pawn up against the world’s strongest player you do not want to give him this kind of counterplay, but rather to simplify the position and win in the endgame: 30.Nd4 Nxd4 31.Qxd4 Qg6 32.Qg4. When you have an extra pawn and opposite color bishops it is usually better to keep the queens on the board. I would have played 32.f3. 32…Qxg4 33.hxg4 Bc6 34.b3 f6 35.Bc3 Rxe1 36.Rxe1 Bd5 37.Rb1 Kf7 38.Kg3 Rb8 39.b4 axb4 40.Bxb4 Bc4 41.a5 Ba6 42.f3 Kg6 43.Kf4 h5 44.gxh5+ Kxh5 45.Rh1+ Kg6 46.Bc5 Rb2 47.Kg3 Ra2 48.Bb6 Kf7 49.Rc1 g5. 50.Rc7+. This allows Black to force a quick draw. Maybe Magnus should have tried 50.Bd8! Bb5 51.Rd1 Bc4 52.Rd6 Bf1 53.f4 Rxg2+ 54.Kf3 gxf4 (54…g4+? 55.Ke4 Re2+ 56.Kf5 g3 57.Rxf6+ Ke8 58.Bb6 gives White chances to win) 55.Rxf6+ Ke8 56.Bc7 Ra2 57.Rxf4 Kd7 58.Bb6. This is still a draw, but with a little more suffering for Black. 50…Kg6 51.Rc6 Bf1 52.Bf2. Kasparov was actually lucky to escape with a draw against the Norwegian wunderkind.
Puzzler.
White — Ka4, Ba6, Nb8, Nc6, Qc1, pawns on e3 and h4
Black — Kd5, Nd6, Rf7, Bh7, Rh3, pawns on b3, c4, c7, d4, e6 and f3
White to play and mate in four.
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