He was quoted in a livemint report as saying: “First of all, he’ll have to figure out if he wants to play in the candidates’ tournament. His results lately have not been too good. He’ll need some time to readjust. If he is able to play at his highest level, I think he can come back, but right now I don’t think he is the favourite to become the challenger.” Magnus Carlsen has modelled before but has no plans for Hollywood.
Carlsen was usually very closed and sounded bored at most post-match press conferences, but was at his best when a few journalists questioned him after he was officially crowned as the world chess champion: “I’ve learnt from Anand but I think I showed him in a way that although he has taught me many things in the past, now it’s probably my turn to teach him.” He also refused to name his seconds: “I am already thinking about defending the title and that is the reason why I don’t want to talk about my seconds too much, because they would be part of my team going forward.” While Carlsen’s playing style has generated a lot of discussion, it’s his off-the-board life that has captured the imagination of chess fans across the globe.
“I didn’t do much, we had a gathering with my team and sponsors, it was very nice,” Carlsen told NDTV in an interview. It’s well documented that Carlsen and Anand are good friends — the two also agreed to sharing the rest area during games — with the Indian Grandmaster calling him ‘Maggie’ at a particular dinner in 2007. Carlsen had apparently replied, “He is the world champion. He can call me what he wants.”
Carlsen may have counted Anand out as one of his challengers, but he did say that he hoped to see the Indian back in the Candidates: “Anand is a legend of the game. By playing him so many times over the years and by training with him on several occasions, I have gained a lot of knowledge on how high his standards are. I hope he still has the interest and passion to make a comeback,” he said in the interview.
Carlsen also said that he loved spicy Indian food on a trip which made him feel very much at home. The 22-year-old has already modelled for fashion house G-Star Raw, but for those eager to see him on the big screen it’s not happening soon. When asked whether he had Hollywood plans, Magnus responded with a trademark ‘No.’