When Magnus Carlsen started playing chess at the age of eight, he grew up in “a hybrid generation,” mainly playing on the board, he tells Euronews Next in an interview.Fast forward 25 years and the five-time classical world champion, who has been the undisputed number one since 2011, says that the Internet has allowed more people to learn about the game and be entertained.
Carlsen’s next move is to turn the chess craze into a spectator sport. Last week, he launched his chess app Take Take Take, which he says is not just another chess app.
Rather than offering users a chance to play, it provides daily tournament recap videos and analyses player performance during major tournaments.
Carlsen will of course give his own analysis. The platform aims to serve as a “home” for the 600 million people who play chess worldwide and notify users when their favourite players have a game.“I've heard from people that they want to watch me play, for instance.