Recently, the chess community has become a hub of controversies, with fans witnessing a series of incidents occurring in rapid succession. The most recent development involves the escalating conflict between FIDE and Freestyle Chess, which has reached significant levels of intensity.

Moreover, the controversies surrounding Magnus Carlsen during the 2024 year-end Rapid and Blitz Championship remain fresh in the minds of fans. Initially, Carlsen was embroiled in a jeans-related scandal that led to his withdrawal from the Rapid Championship. Subsequently, he advanced to the final of the Blitz Championship, where controversy resurfaced as he shared the title with Russian Grandmaster Ian Nepomniachtchi. The situation further incensed fans when Carlsen was recorded encouraging his opponent to agree to short draws if FIDE did not acquiesce to their request for a shared title. This incident ignited a frenzy on social media, with numerous fans accusing the two players of colluding to manipulate the outcome. Additionally, many fans, including current Grandmasters, highlighted instances from other sports where a definitive winner is always determined, and titles are not shared.

In a recent discussion regarding the Take Take Take application, Carlsen provided further insight into his decisions during the Blitz final. When questioned whether his choice to share the title stemmed from a diminished motivation, the World No. 1 responded, “I do not consider it a disrespectful question. I am quite candid about my reduced drive compared to earlier times. At one point, I felt that after his remarkable comeback, it would have been unjust for him not to receive his first world championship title. Initially, I was confident in my ability to win the match, having secured victories in the first two games and feeling optimistic. However, he executed an impressive comeback, which understandably shook my confidence. We also engaged in three exceptionally high-quality draws during the tiebreak.”

“Consequently, my assurance in winning diminished, leading to a combination of factors: the belief that sharing the title would be a fair resolution, along with my desire to leave with the world championship title. I genuinely believed it would create a memorable moment, and I still maintain that perspective. It is important for people to understand that during such moments, clarity of thought can be elusive. There are only brief two-minute breaks between rounds, leaving little time for rest or reflection, and I was not fully processing everything.”

Magnus Carlsen uses Tokyo Olympics example

Carlsen referenced the high jump event at the Tokyo Olympics, where the gold medal was jointly awarded to Italian athlete Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatari Mutaz Barshim. Both competitors chose not to engage in a jump-off after achieving the same height, opting instead to share the gold medal.

"Naturally, it became apparent that the public's reaction was not as I had anticipated, similar to the situation with the high jump at the Olympics. However, that is perfectly acceptable," he remarked.

When asked if he regretted his decision, he responded, "No, not at all. I am content with how everything turned out. The only aspect I might have overlooked is the need to consider all factors thoroughly."

In the Blitz final, Carlsen started strong with two victories, needing only a draw to secure the title. However, his opponent mounted a comeback, leveling the score at 2-2 with consecutive wins. The two players then engaged in three successive draws during the sudden death phase, after which Carlsen suggested that they could share the title, a proposal that the Russian grandmaster accepted.

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