Photos, football and a revolutionary tournament: a day with the great world chess star

BarcelonaOn March 30, 1989, hundreds of Catalan chess fans approached the Saló del Tinell to see the Soviet Garry Kasparov, the best player of the moment, in action. Kasparov, who was 26 years old at the time, defeated his compatriot Valery Salov during the fourth stage of the World Cup of that time. It was the last time the world's best player played in Barcelona. Until now. In 2027, the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen will be the main attraction of a new tournament that aims to revolutionize chess in our country. From January 18 to 20, the best players of the moment will face each other in very fast games at theMove Cup, a tournament that mixes sport, solidarity, and spectacle. But everything will revolve around Magnus, one of the best of all time. And according to some, a Bad Boy.

Carlsen was in Catalonia for the presentation. And everyone was looking for him. Always half disheveled and smiling. A rock star who plays chess and does not want to dress very formally. Years ago he fought with everyone to defend his right to wear jeans at the World Championship. He won the argument, wore the jeans, and now he no longer wants to play the World Championship. He has already won it and finds it too slow a tournament. He wants to flee from the formality that often seems to preside over the world of chess. "It won't be the first time I play in Barcelona," he joked at the presentation ceremony. Everyone seemed surprised, because they were not aware of it. "I came once with some friends, I went out to party, and then I decided to play some online games. It was a mistake," he added laughingly.

At the presentation event of the Move Cup the entire leadership of the Catalan Chess Federation was present, euphoric. "We will finally have the best world players at home," said president Ramon Chalmeta. The tournament will have prizes of 300,000 euros for the players. And it will allocate the same amount to charitable causes by the hand of the MOVE Foundation, created to boost the growth of chess and use this sport to help young people with mental health problems. A private foundation of global investors who love this sport and share Carlsen's same vision regarding the future of chess: this game can be made more attractive. "We need tournaments like this one, that bring chess closer to the people," defends the Scandinavian. For the moment, he is the first big name confirmed. The other seven grandmasters will be revealed one by one over the coming weeks, but everything seems to indicate that almost all of them will be in the world Top 10. For now, the Move Cup wants the tournament to be played in Barcelona for at least three years.

Having the draw of Carlsen is a first success for a city where chess has always been played, but where it has not always been possible to see the best names live. The Norwegian, moreover, is special. He was pursued by admirers the whole time and, in the end, he seemed tired. In fact, he decided to return home earlier than planned and did not stay to watch PSG-Barça at Bar 64, a bar dedicated to chess recently opened in Barcelona. Initially, it was his idea, since he loves football. In fact, he likes Madrid. "I want PSG to win, of course. I don't want Barça to win, but I admit they play very well, I really like how Flick's team plays," he said. Carlsen stopped by the bar to greet the organizers. Afterward, he took refuge in a corner protected by the Catalan grandmaster Miquel Illescas, who knew how to catch his attention: with a board.

Years ago, Illescas invented the dragon, a piece of his own creation that can move like a knight or a rook. And you can place it on the board when you want, opening up new possibilities. Magnus's face changed completely. They placed the board on a sofa and began to play. Even though it was the first time this piece had appeared in his life, he managed to draw against Illescas, who asked him if he remembered the first time they had played years ago. "Of course. I made an idiotic move and we drew," replied a smiling Carlsen. He remembers every game, every opponent, every move.

"I am really looking forward to returning to Barcelona in January to play. The city has a genuine sensitivity for chess. In the rapid format, every game can take a turn in an instant, which makes it exciting both to play and to watch," explains Carlsen, who wanted to have a say in deciding the tournament format, in which players will have 1.5 seconds to move. Rapid, electric games. "I play a lot online. And I watch the online or in-person eGames tournaments. We have many options to make chess more fun for the spectator and attract people," he explained to ARA.

And indeed, the tournament will be played in the rapid chess format, a format agile enough to maintain tension from the first move to the last. It is designed for both the in-person audience and online spectators: attendees will be able to follow the live commentary with headphones while the scores are updated on large screens. "The eight players will play a round-robin. And the top four will go to the semifinals, which will be decided by a best-of-three matches. The final will be best-of-five," said David Ayza, the tournament director. "It will be a lot of fun. The best players with a fun format, it's exciting," added Carlsen. A man who is talked about a lot, with admirers and critics. A player who no longer wants to be in the World Championships. But who, when a board appears, changes completely.