What makes Magnus Carlsen so good at chess | GothamChess and Lex Fridman 

When Magnus plays weird move he is a 'genius' and a 'chess prodigy'; but when i do it i get called and idiot and 400 elo

Levy is very good at explaining the nuts and bolts of the game. Not just, “if he takes here then I will recapture, blah blah.”

My dad played Levi in Dallas 2 years ago (or maybe it was Vegas). Had a drawn position but lost it (my dad is trying to make master at 60 years old). He’s about 2100 right now. Quit for a long, long time in his “prime”, before computers came and changed the chess game. Levi was kind enough to go over the game 2 years ago with my dad. A rare thing when an IM beats an expert. Very down to earth guy

"They have to swim on their own" that was a cool quote. Like Magnus is taking them to the depths where you really need to know how to swim well.

Magnus is simply on another level, in a league of his own.

Carlsen has an eidetic chess memory, as well as just being a creative genius. It's hard to beat someone with either of those things, he's the greatest at both.

Didn't expect Levy to come across so well but he did. Well spoken and intelligent guy, good choice of guest again Lex! Legends

It's incredibly rare to see a champion dominate his sport so much as magnus has. Especially when there's as much competition in the sport as there is.

I think the real problem is that people don't get that Stockfish is evaluating a move based on a high level/perfect response. Maybe the person is not going to see that response at all, and that's where "knowing your opponent" REALLY comes into play. You can't just take look at the engine move and say "that move will always be bad." Maybe a particular opponent will be fooled by the first appearance of a particular structure and make a rash decision. It's happened many times.

Still one of my favorite pod casts and interviewers. The more I watch the more I enjoy and appreciate it . Quickly crawling into my top ten people I'd love to have dinner with and pick their mind. Keep up the great work!

I remember one interview of Magnus (I don't remember with who) when asked how he creates a strategy and he said something to the effect of: It's not so much strategy but when a move "doesn't look right" I somehow try to make my position look right. He also said he doesn't know how he does that, he just is able to when something doesn't look right.

Great collab. Love all the chess love, Lex.

Good conversation. Rozman has one of the best RU-vid chess channels that I've viewed. Thanks

It is hard to explain why he is so good. He just is and I don't even think he could fully explain it. Obviously he has studied a lot, but so have the other GMs he destroys lol

I really enjoyed this interview/conversation, and the thing that really made it for me was the Prefontaine quote.

Awesome feature! Love both your guys work 👏🏽

Crazy combo... Thank you guys

Nice shirt choice for Levy. Works well with the background

Levi is really good at explaining complex parts of the game for the average person. He has the best RU-vid channel to learn from.

There is always an agreed-upon platform to measure who is the best in a sport. Regardless of monetary compensation. Great point.

good to see Levy here, lex has the most interesting guests

Great talk Levy, amazing to listen to!

9:33 Yes great example here with GSP and Khabib ❤

Levy blew up so quickly for good reason. I can see these two being friends.

With reference to UFC/BJJ, I'd liken the old school "first to x wins" to sub only matches. Going till no end in sight. Great for the purist, not so great for modern times with TV etc to organise

Neat to see GothamChess in such a different setting.

What makes Levy such a brilliant chess recapper and entertaining dude in general should be the next video

We love Levi! Gotham is our chess translator! Thank you for having him on the podcast!

Magnus is one of those rare combination of talent, hard work, balance, humility, and activism that comes along only once in a millenium or so. We are lucky to have him IMHO .

For the memory, a lot of people are assuming he's born with it. This is more from my experience, but I think what we remember shifts based on what we care about, and the way our memory recalls events is very practical in chess. I always joked about having bad memory because I need to write down peoples names and go through them so many times, because unless its someone I actively interact with the memory just escapes me. On the flip side, I can find myself randomly remembering algorithms and solutions I covered half a decade ago when solving certain coding problems. Our brains are incredibly powerful, and I think the best recollection happens through series of linked events. We link a memory to a specific idea, when we encounter a situation that reminds us of that one thing, it'll lead to another until we have the full image in our head. More like a recreation of what actually happened through key events. With that, I think for the super GMs who started playing chess as children and developed to truly understand the sport (usually GMs by 15), those games are what's essential in their heads. They don't need to remember the actual boards, just the specific series of moves. The ability to remember thousands of these and be able to recall ones based on similarity seems insane to us, but I think it's all the same idea.

Uh…I just thought it was because he’s named like a f*ckin Bond villain 😂🤣

Is this two of my best RU-vidr across the table I want more of that please

What levy meant was that in a complex endgame , the players wont play accurately all the time.

*Unexpected but welcomed collaboration!*

Lex Fridman and Levy Rozman? What day is it? Hell yeah.

Whooo happy to see this collaboration!

Great podcast Lex! Keep up the good work.

Magnus, Levy, Travis Stevens, Jimmy Pedro, Duncan Trussell Ty Lex! From a fellow Judoka ameuter chess enthusiast and forever student of life

Magnus has lived and breathed the game his entire life, it's embedded in his soul. That's why from the start I thought if he felt like something was off against Neimann then it most likely was. He doensn't even have to consciously notice it, he can just feel it.

one of my fav guests. thanks lex

Levy did so incredible here, despite being completely sleep deprived probably after all the travel. Also, that shirt is sharper than the Najdorf

Now that’s a collab I wouldn’t have expected

It used to be the opposite: Tony Miles purposefully played bad moves against Karpov early to side-step the World Champion's superior opening memorization and get to having to play chess, and it turned out that Tony won! Now the champion is doing that to the underlings!

Didn't expect Levy, couldn't be happier though!

Can't believe I heard pre's quote. Subbed

Love this interview. Gothem Chess has a cool channel. Thanks Lex!

More chess videos, please!

So glad you had Gotham on! Chess needs more love and he’s great for chess

Lex looks like a rendered character from a game with excellent graphics.

Lex podcast is just superb!!

He has a prodigious long-term memory (associative memory). He can match patterns from games he played years ago.

The answer is to look at Wsop the world series of poker. The coveted diamond bracelet... the huge prize purse its insane. Wsop is legendary

Very good point about the Olympics. I remember 2012 in the UK, which I personally part paid for (it was very expensive and my taxes were used, obviously). It was streamed by the BBC and kept on their website for some short amount of time, then disappeared. So I'm paying the BBC a licence fee per year + I paid for the event with my taxes, and incredibly enough I cannot access any of the content anymore. Money ruins everything doesn't it.

Levy wasn't very clear about the 0 evaluation in the endgame. Is it that the engine can't evaluate some endgames properly? Or that it's a draw with perfect play, but in practice for a human it can be hard to get the moves that lead to a draw?

I think the reason why chess is not as popular as it should be, is because it takes a lot of mental constitution to play just one game. I code 24/7 and that is like writing a math paper for 8h every day, but pales in comparison to just one chess game. One complex chess game can drain you completely. Fascinating really.

a fantastic interview. Thank You!

The major factor Magnus dominated his generation is that he excelled at the most difficult part of the game of chess i. e. the endgame. Historically few players were endgame specialists, like Capablanca, Rubenstein, perhaps Karpov. Because of this he manages to save lost games and win seemingly dead draw games. Added to all that being talented, determined, and has something to prove and wants to leave his stamp on the game.

Nice to see Levy wearing sleeves.

Levy - very good explanation. You are an ambassador for the game

Well done Levy! Impressive.

I like how levy deliberately speaking slow.... that must have been painful 😆

The memory is part what makes him good. Interesting that Danaher says the same about what makes Gordon Ryan good in bjj

Two of my favorite personalities that seem so different until they come together and totally hit it off. I can see the beauty in that because Im romantic

Ding always goes from down to up, holy fuck that was an accurate call.

You gotta love Levy

You should invite Peter Svidler after the current ECCC. Most eloquent commentator in chess.

6:36 There’s that Joe Rogan and UFC influence, lol. “Who ya got?”

I know nothing about this Lex guy, 15 minute interview and I still know nothing about him he didn't talk about himself at all....FANTASTIC interviewer snd great voice. I like this guy im gonna check out more

Paul Morphy also had an eidetic chess memory. He dominated his time and is known as the first unofficial World Champion of Chess ( William Steinitz is the official First World Champion). Returning to the United States in triumph, Morphy toured the major cities, playing chess on his way back to New Orleans. Returning to New Orleans in late 1859 at the age of 22, he retired from active chess competition to begin his law career. Morphy never established a successful law practice and ultimately lived a life of idleness, living on his family's fortune. Despite appeals from his admirers, Morphy never returned to the game, and died in 1884 from a stroke at the age of 47. Lets hope Magnus simply wants to take a break and enjoy his life at the top of his game.

Game 6 was absolutely amazing. I had the day off and I watched the whole thing live.

Levy is a great guest!

Lex, if you're gonna be having all these chess guys on you gotta be playing chess boi

No mention or acknowledgment of his computation skill? End games are not random memorization....

Above all, Magnus is creative

Levy isn't correct that Stockfish doesn't know. It does. HUMANS don't know every possibility is all and some sub-trees are more treacherous (from a human practical perspective) than others. Stockfish also has 7-piece endgame tablebases. Any node within its search that reaches it, it knows perfectly, including every move within in perfectly. If it's showing zeros, either it KNOWS how to force a draw, or all of the characteristics of the pros and cons for either side, in its estimation, completely cancel out for the moment.

I also play like that, after 5 moves no more database moves! ;)

All the commentators are Grand Masters... Agadmator in the background: "cough, cough". Disclaimer: I'm not sure he was commentating on the WC event, but he's been on a lot of top end tournaments.

Wait... You're saying Bach was more interested in the math than the sheer beauty of his music? 8:31

I feel like this is a good chance for Ding to take advantage being over the board.

(==) - main point what a cool interview, I loved the chemistry, didn't think I'd watch a 15 minute video like this. I think that touches on things; Yeah, I'd absolutely watch a clickbate with magnus playing a weird position and bamboozling an igm/gm/ect online in a blitz match, then ever ever watch traditional for the many hours it takes. Esports as a whole has taken that turn and you can look at how league of legends has evolved for viewership over skill to a certain extent. when we're talking about stamina to exhaust newer players, I think that's kind of it. Magnus has such a lock on late game, that unless you are as good in that position from so many other key ins - what are you suppose to do there? I would say Magnus is "brave" enough to make those moves, but fact of the mater is that he has the luxury to make those moves in that position. If I am up and coming I need results; Magnus doesn't care about money/title/ect. Whether it is worth it or not is absolutely a relevant discussion, but end of the day, money and fun are both a huge contributor to these players. If he can go into a major tournament and have a few fun games and mess with people, shirk the title, and then go back to the youtube and be just as successful and relevant... I think we kind have touched on things. cont... There are a lot of players in league who are absolutely insane that have been cut from professional play due to reaction time/ect (when those things have been disproved time and time again) when as a viewer all I want are "magical" games to watch. We come to a point where any game can be summed down to numbers and hedging out position - which will end up in draws - vs "pure" competition, which encourages that. -...cont a game should be first and foremost fun to watch and play. A balance that gaming has start to hit more and more regularly, and that there isn't a real fix for. Things like speedrunning vs pvp vs entertainment exist. The game with the most expression and tend to be the most viewed at a certain point. RNG has been a big online answer towards that premise, but LOL comes up again as an obvious playin towards that. Currently the league gamestate has created an okay balance towards that (outside of some tech limitations and general unbalance), but they haven't found the format to display that. cont... =For chess; I would like to see a format where pure theoretical was mixed with outrageous situations. Imagine a world tournament that matched every draw with something like a blitz game, or something else absurd as a tie-braker. What would that look like?= Then you would connect the youtube highlights to the traditional play, and the audiences as well (tmtm- I'm not a gm, but I would live to be a commentator in the same way that people love an avg dude participating in the Olympics to tie that in lol).

The host is very good at calming down the vibes of Levi, Levi is usually a pretty hype dude so probs for the chill vibes. Makes the listening to the episode so much better❤

I feel like he can still sign World Champion forever since he held the title for 10 consecutive years outplaying everyone he could possibly do and having the highest score ever and steping away volunteraly for lack of motivation, he is the GOAT and he will probably be the best chess player that has ever lived, I think he earned to call himself World Champion

chess is the only sport/game where some commentators and chess influencers earn more than many top 50ers .this happens because you don't need to watch players but need to look at the chess position live which is free on websites so players can't monetize that viewership to the best extent. ridiculous lol

What does Lex mean by "swing terminology"?

Lex the word you're looking for (about SpaceX vs NASA) is MARKETING. Marketing isn't just for products, it's for ideas. When you introduce the world to a new idea, or give more visibility to an old one, the way you present it is marketing. The words you use, the place where you "broadcast" the idea, the medium you use to convey, even how you say or write it, it creates an impression on the viewer. Both NASA and SpaceX want to get people excited about space travel. Elon is good at marketing, NASA hasn't quite got the hang of it.

Magnus is a Complete Genius

Yea memory is absolutely fundamental. Imagine you were able to play some 40 *million* games like Alpha Zero did. At some point it wouldn't matter for you though, because it'd be impossible to remember even a significant portion of those games. However, Alpha Zero or any computer could have a detailed database for every single move made in every one of those games, and use it for reference. Now scale that down, say Magnus has played or looked at 100,000 games in his life, but his exceptional memory allows him to remember a significant portion of those games. Whereas me for example, I could play the exact same amount of games, but not even remember half of them. Then of course there's the ability to calculate variations, which Magnus is also able to do well. Very well.

I have that in common with MC. After 5 or 6 moves my game is no longer book moves either, and there's no announcers but if there was I'm sure they'd go " idk why he did that?" The same way lol

For Magnus choosing not to defend his title - I have a few thoughts. 1. If I've been world champion for almost a decade like Magnus has, I could see it losing the magic. When he was a teenager, he had a lot to prove. Winning the WC is the biggest single achievement in chess. After almost 10 years at the top with little by means of real competition, it makes sense that Magnus has stopped seeing the appeal. 2. Following on from my first point. Every 2 years Magnus has had to devote a bunch of time, effort and money to prepare for the championship, and has won convincingly every time. It's a lot of sacrifice for something that's losing its appeal to Magnus, and that he already knows the outcome of. Eventually the cons will outweigh the pros. 3. Again following on from the previous points... Magnus knows he's the best by a considerable margin. Of course he has to put in the work because chess is a game that is always developing. You have to keep learning to stay at the top. If Ian had 3 months to prepare and Magnus did not, Ian would have the advantage - but Magnus knows that with a similar level of effort in preparation to his opponent, he will always beat his opponent in the WC format. Magnus even gave us a hint himself, when he said he would only defend his title if Alireza won the candidates. This shows that Magnus does not see the value in playing against a 'known quantity' in the usual super-GMs, but he would give it a shot for the latest prodigy who has made rapid progress, and may surprise Magnus with a suitably prodigious performance. I can see how Magnus might view such a WC match against Alireza as similar to his own inaugural WC match against Anand. Alireza crumbled in the candidates, so Magnus chose not to defend his title against a more predictable opponent.

magnus really is an intuitive player and i can see why a guy like that wouldn't want games that are still in theory after 30 moves.

Carlsen is good at chess because he is the best at endgames. Endgames are extremely complicated and even Carlsen makes mistakes, but other people make more

0:40 Was it Twain who said "First learn the facts, then distort them to your leisure"

I’m not anywhere near a pro but I just started playing again after about a decade off, and I’ve been shocked at how quickly my intuition has returned. For some reason, even forgetting many well-known moves that increase chances of winning, I’ve been winning or finding my way out of what *should be* check/nearly check-mate situations quite a lot. I’ve been coming back from near defeat at the very end more than my opponents imagine is possible and I think I get some kind of instinct to save myself toward the end that is not related to my initial strategy, so I’m underestimated a lot. That’s an advantage too. Wise players should know not to assume victory just because they win against everyone else or their odds are better halfway through. We all play different, and of course statistics play a role, but it’s not just that. There’s something to be said for a natural prowess some people have and if that wasn’t the case, playing would be pointless. Nobody plays a game that can be boiled down to only statistics.

Magnus is so good because he loves the game. He’s so fascinated by it, or has been, and so has studied it in so many ways, and learnt of it in so many ways, and he remembers of course 🙂 But it starts with his love of Chess.

Carlsen has special abilities, one of them is synesthesia, and arguably can enhance his intuitive and perceptive ability to see patterns where others cannot. But his super ability is his memory. Also, like Bobby Fisher, he is hyper-competitive.

Simple, make matches, the classic ones, 1 hour. I would watch that 100%.

Imho, Magnus just isn't motivated. I wouldn't say he's bored; but, the man with that amazing recall loves new positions, which results in 'pure chess', where the victor should be the better chess player, not the one who knows the theory better, or knows a chess engine's top lines better - although that is always useful while prepping. Watch his streams. He's well past the point of feeling excited by theory or other moves which he considers boring. This includes a thousand lines of theory where finding an advantage is highly unlikely unless your opponent misplays. In fact, most grandmasters choose openings that are complicated; it's the best way to fight for a win, but the game can often be steered into drawish positions by such too.. A game that turns into uncharted territory always piques his interest, however. It's actually a testament to how good Nepo is at knowing theory, positional chess play, and solid yet tricky chess, that only in a long end game did Nepo give Magnus an opening. After that, things changed in that match, but if Magnus does not want to slog through that to defend his title, I totally understand. People say Ding is so solid, but Nepo - as long as he has not self-destructed - is almost bullet proof. Would Magnus do it to regain his title? Absolutely, if he wanted the title again.

The title is earned. That’s why he uses it. For the future 🐐

Love Gotham Chess videos

3:00 I dont think "Stockfish doesnt know", its just a draw with perfect play. Also tablebase is coming to play at few pieces.