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Magnus Carlsen, the undisputed world number one for over a decade, believes chess ratings today are somewhat "deflated" compared to the past but remains unfazed by the possibility of someone surpassing him.
The five-time world champion, who held the title from 2013 to 2023, chose not to defend his crown, citing lack of motivation. Despite stepping back from classical tournaments, Carlsen's reign at the top is one of the longest and most dominant in chess history.
"I don't play a lot of classical chess, so whenever somebody is going to pass me, I wouldn't particularly mind," the 33-year-old Norwegian said during a media interaction ahead of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament here.
"I think a lot of people had the chance to surpass me, but we'll see when it happens. I think it sort of depends on others."
Carlsen also suggested that chess ratings may not carry the same weight they did a decade ago.
"There's definitely been deflation in chess ratings, so a level of ELO 2830 would probably correspond to 2850 about 10 years ago, and not a lot of people have reached that," noted Carlsen, who currently has a FIDE rating of 2831.
Having held the world number 1 spot almost continuously since July 1, 2011, Carlsen first achieved the top ranking in January 2010 at the age of 19, becoming the youngest player to reach that position.
After briefly losing it in mid 2011, he reclaimed the top spot and has dominated it ever since. Throughout his career, Carlsen has set multiple records, including the highest FIDE rating ever recorded at 2882 in May 2014.
Since opting out of the World Championship in 2023, Carlsen has "picked and chosen" tournaments with formats and opponents he finds exciting, focusing on rapid, blitz, and other flexible events that align with his evolving interests.
Reflecting on the younger generation of players, Carlsen conveyed his respect for their progress while noting that they don't always measure up to his level, a statement more reflective of his confidence than arrogance.
"I'm looking forward to testing myself against the younger generation. I'm always curious to see how much they've improved since the last time. It turns out they have improved, but not always enough."
"I look forward to seeing all the Indian chess fans. It's quite chaotic; that's one of the reasons why I don't do play here every year," said Carlsen who is here to play the tournament for the first time since 2019.
Carlsen has won the World Rapid Chess Championship four times (2014, 2015, 2019, and 2022) and the World Blitz Chess Championship five times (2009, 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019), making him one of the most versatile and dominant world champions across different formats.
On the younger generation of chess players, Carlsen said: "It's very interesting to see a different brand of chess. A lot of the older players of my generation are not going to surprise you in a major way in terms of where they stand, but with the younger generation, it's interesting to try and understand."
India has come a long way
Carlsen began his reign after defeating Viswanathan Anand in the World Championship in Chennai in 2013 and he feels the country has come a long way.
"I came to Chennai in August (2013), to look at the facilities and so on. I was told that I'm going to meet some of the better kids in the area to play, and it feels like half of the kids are now either GMs or some of them are even playing in top tournaments.
"That's what has changed. Those kids back then are now the core of the Olympiad-winning team. Indian chess has come a long way since then, much thanks to Anand and what he did for Indian chess," he said.
Carlsen was also impressed with three-year-old chess prodigy from the city Anish Sarkar, who recently became the youngest FIDE-rated chess player in the world with a rating of 1555.
"First of all, it's amazing to see the level he's at. My nephew is turning 4, he's a bright young child, but I don't see him getting a rating of 1500 anytime soon," he said.
"It's very impressive. Most of all, try to enjoy as much as you can. Don't think about ratings, results, titles, and so on. They will come automatically; just do what you love," he signed off, while posing for a photo with the kid.