Magnus Carlsen: Greatest Chess Player of All Time | Lex Fridman Podcast

Magnus Carlsen is the highest-rated chess player in history and widely considered to be the greatest chess player of all time. Quick note from Lex: The camera on Magnus died 20 minutes in. Most folks still just listen to audio-only version, but here on KZbin, we did our best to still make it interesting to watch & listen by adding image overlays. I mess things up sometimes, like in this case, and it hits me hard when I do. But I'm always working hard to improve. I hope you understand. Thank you for your patience and support along the way. I love you all.
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EPISODE LINKS:
Magnus's Twitter: / magnuscarlsen
Magnus's Instagram: / magnus_carlsen
Magnus's KZbin: / themagnuscarlsen
Magnus's Website: magnuscarlsen.com
PODCAST INFO:
Podcast website: lexfridman.com/podcast
Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2lwqZIr
Spotify: spoti.fi/2nEwCF8
RSS: lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/
Full episodes playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast
Clips playlist: • Lex Fridman Podcast Clips
OUTLINE:
0:00 - Introduction
0:51 - Greatest soccer player of all time
7:57 - Magnus's approach to chess
17:10 - Game 6 of the 2021 World Chess Championship
21:12 - Chess openings
33:35 - Chess960: Fischer random chess
38:37 - Chess variants
41:22 - Elo Rating
49:48 - World Chess Championship
1:14:00 - Losing
1:21:22 - Day in the life
1:28:12 - Drunk chess
1:32:43 - Chess training
1:40:37 - Garry Kasparov
1:49:54 - Greatest chess player of all time
2:03:06 - Advice for chess players
2:04:49 - Chess KZbinrs
2:08:20 - Henrik Carlsen
2:13:55 - Lessons for life
2:17:19 - Queen's Gambit
2:19:10 - Poker
2:25:24 - Loneliness
2:28:45 - How does the knight move?
SOCIAL:
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- Support on Patreon: / lexfridman

[@lexfridman]

See the timestamps below. Quick note from Lex: The camera on Magnus died 20 minutes in. Most folks still just listen to audio-only version, but here on KZbin, we did our best to still make it interesting to watch & listen by adding image overlays. I mess things up sometimes, like in this case, and it hits me hard when I do. But I'm always working hard to improve. I hope you understand. Thank you for your patience and support along the way. I love you all. 0:00 - Introduction 0:51 - Greatest soccer player of all time 7:57 - Magnus's approach to chess 17:10 - Game 6 of the 2021 World Chess Championship 21:12 - Chess openings 33:35 - Chess960: Fischer random chess 38:37 - Chess variants 41:22 - Elo Rating 49:48 - World Chess Championship 1:14:00 - Losing 1:21:22 - Day in the life 1:28:12 - Drunk chess 1:32:43 - Chess training 1:40:37 - Garry Kasparov 1:49:54 - Greatest chess player of all time 2:03:06 - Advice for chess players 2:04:49 - Chess KZbinrs 2:08:20 - Henrik Carlsen 2:13:55 - Lessons for life 2:17:19 - Queen's Gambit 2:19:10 - Poker 2:25:24 - Loneliness 2:28:45 - How does the knight move? SPONSORS: - Shopify: shopify.com/lex to get 14-day free trial - Athletic Greens: athleticgreens.com/lex to get 1 month of fish oil - Fundrise: fundrise.com/lex - BetterHelp: betterhelp.com/lex to get 10% off - InsideTracker: insidetracker.com/lex to get 20% off

[@martinbravo1301]

ty bro

[@dmupster]

its okay lex ily

[@pratikc]

No worries! Just keep 'em coming! :D

[@iJizzInYourMouth]

Love you lex

[@bp56789]

I promise you, you’re 1000x more annoyed at this than anyone who watches the video. Great content, as usual.

[@agadmator]

I've seen this Magnus fellow somewhere. Can't put my finger on it

[@chan7an]

There was an attempt

[@calebtyhowell2087]

Agadmator! pause the video to find the winning move!

[@gabriellvig2377]

Sorry about that

[@simonlaplace9790]

Lex at the beginning of the podcast: "Sorry about that"

[@hampsonmealey]

The crossover we all need

[@Siggvard]

"Currently my rating is 2861, which is decent" - Magnus 😂

[@luke31ish]

Mine is at 1515, dreaming to get into 1800's. 2861 seems ok I guess 🙂

[@mitch-lawless]

This is the most Magnus thing Magnus has ever said.

[@smmshoe]

@@luke31ish 1515 is good

[@wadeboggs5163]

I have the same rating as his Dad, “which is really low.” That one hurt a little, I have to say.

[@interstellarbeatteller9306]

"My current rating is 750, which is disgusting" - Me

[@sebastiangonzalezgonzalez2183]

Lex. Please invite Magnus again. Such an inspiration to me. Not just in chess

[@Cholaspen]

May I ask how else? I’m not too familiar with him outside of chess, and I’m not a huge chess player either.

[@Zirks]

@@Cholaspen he plays poker

[@asiamies9153]

@@Cholaspen Persona?

[@donut5143]

he's white @@Cholaspen

[@Mike-ud6hd]

"When your opponent can predict every single one of your moves, and still lose" That's a stone cold killer quote. Profound when it comes to chess because it's the worse way to lose a game at any elo, you know where they're trying to attack but either you lose track of the sequence on one single move and lose, or you just don't have the capability to counter their attack.

[@aureliusfeynman485]

Yes, I came upon instances where I kept staying in a kind of "extended zugzwang" state, most certainly out of lack of positional insight and strength. In fact, when I think of it, this usually happens when I'm severely outclassed by an opponent with a very dominant positional style.

[@chess]

Amazing interview with the best!

[@chesster5981]

First, why didn’t lex use the other camera

[@lms904]

Hikaru is the best. Magnus is overrated.

[@atomsam2676]

@@lms904 literally don't even care..

[@Alias_Ex]

Did you know that Magnus Charlsenn id the best checkers player in the world?

[@Ludwig_Van_Aristossine]

@@lms904 who knows, they are both the goats

[@boltonjack]

I almost can't believe the amount of interesting people you've had on your podcast recently. You're the man Lex. Love your work.

[@FlipsMG]

One of the best podcast episodes I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. You should try to bring Magnus back for another episode with the camera working. I'd love to see him explain some chess to you over the board while talking more about his interesting perspectives on life.

[@lourencobtt]

1:59:58 “What is beautiful to me Is when your opponent can predict every single one of your moves, and they still lose” - Magnus Carlsen Fascinating mind, fascinating personality! Great, great work, dear Lex Friman. Excellent interview.

[@vibovitold]

Carlsen, not Carlson

[@lourencobtt]

@@vibovitold, edited. Thanks.

[@juanpablosanchezaveleyra6454]

that's terrifying

[@jacobsykes8467]

I’ve genuinely been waiting for Lex to interview Magnus for years. This was a real treat to see.

[@txnygotw]

To "see".

[@akattom]

as opposed to waiting for lex to interview magnus, fakely?

[@jacobsykes8467]

​@@akattom Yes -- as in: "I'm not using hyperbole when I say that I have been waiting for years for this interview."

[@shlyfe8346]

@@jacobsykes8467 chess players... You will always find people who tries to show everyone how much smarter they are than you under chess videos.

[@johnnycharisma162]

Where have you been waiting? A bus stop?

[@mgst4699003]

Wow, a remarkable conversation. Thank you for coming to this podcast, Magnus!

[@randygohmann207]

You have a remarkable way of bringing out the authentic side of your guests Lex. Thank you for doing these, I get so much enjoyment out of these conversations.

[@fcknugget1654]

HOLY! As a norwegian who loves Magnus Carlsen, and as a guy who loves Lex, this was an unexpected pleasure!

[@MilNORtop10]

Samme her as, gøy

[@OwlSpinning]

Samme her også! Artig! Nice guest Lex!

[@MrCaveman366]

Samme her, det her var artig.

[@Woozlewuzzleable]

I wasn't surprised, it was always meant to be.

[@roejogan8247]

Helt nydelig!!

[@samirkarki192]

While I was watching a video , I got an ad about a podcast and how if you 'paid for it' , you would get so many life changing lessons . That's when I realized the magnitude of the great work that Lex is doing, because he puts out the kind of content for which I would happily pay 10 times the amount charged by others, completely free on youtube. And in yesterday 's episode when the topic about Magnus was brought up, I secretly wished how amazing it would be if Magnus was invited to the podcast, and lo and behold there he is ! Simply amazing!

[@faintsherin4468]

Watch or Listen to Huberman's podcast as well, those videos are goldmine!

[@razinmuntasir6926]

In which video and what part?

[@ItIsYouAreNotYour]

Are you talking about KZbin ads? He doesn't pick those.

[@fernandosalazar1011]

The, “imposter syndrome,” at the end of the podcast struck me the hardest 😳 beautiful conversation

[@phillipzierke8104]

I came to write the same thing. The fact that HE has imposter syndrome, proves how human he is and makes it even easier to connect too. Great interview, Lex never disappoints.

[@antimatter2417]

T

[@willk7184]

So enjoying your calm, respectful, long-form interviews. It's such a joy to hear such well-informed questions and intriguing discussions with fascinating people. Just found you recently but I'm catching up on old shows!

[@borissmondack7802]

I am dreaming of reaching Magnus level of objectivity. Insane. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview both on entertainment and content interest level. One world: thanks.

[@simondesue5915]

I really love how open Magnus is about sharing his thought process and feelings. He seems pretty self reflected and it's nice to see that he isn't timid to say that he is much better than player X and so on.

[@maxkho00]

It seems to be a theme among chess players. Hikaru also has this trait. Even Danya, who is known to be very neurotic, will openly admit his lower-rated opponent just played better than him and deserved to win. It really does seem like chess fosters objectivity, and it's not just a cliché.

[@dulisha]

@@maxkho00 chess can be very humbling game lol maybe that is one of the reasons

[@0willow0]

@Despize Perform deterministic for all intents and purposes is meaningless for human and even the strongest computer chess. It's ceiling of complexity will never be reached by human players, at least not until science can create 1000IQ humans somehow. In theory it should be solvable, but for now to say it's deterministic is pedantic and meaningless.

[@Aka47xxx]

I think he's actually pretty devoid about anything but chess.

[@tongpoo8985]

@@0willow0 he just means there is no element of randomness so you have no one to blame but yourself for a loss. Try to understand the meaning of someone's words before insulting them

[@timsullivan4566]

So glad to find Magnus was such an accessible personality. so enjoyable a listen that the camera failure went practically unnoticed.

[@losdudas]

Just listened on this now - wow what an excellent interview it was, touching on so many different things and really showed what an humble and great guy Magnus is.

[@apefu]

Wow, this is by far the best interview with Magnus Carlsen I've ever heard! Great job! :)

[@gnomeba12]

This was a great interview. Magnus is kind of hard to interview because most people who interview him are quite ignorant of high level chess, so most questions fall flat. Great job.

[@killpioo2]

Lex is such a good interviewer.

[@JunkBondTrader]

Lex isn't a high level chess player, he's a complete beginner. And these are very basic, beginner chess questions. Not that I'm complaining. They're the right questions for Lex, and his audience. But I enjoyed the parts of the interview where chess conversation led to other philosophical ideas about life.

[@McPvPMaster]

@@JunkBondTrader Okay

[@besmart2350]

@@JunkBondTraderit’s just a game, nothing special to be philosophical about it. Anyone who spends thousands of hours playing it, practicing it and learning the theory behind it can become high level. Nothing special, just like any other game

[@jonathansheridan9780]

I love to hear from absolute masters in their field like this also, as a non-chess fan (but huge admirer of strategy games in general, even though i suck at them) this was very easy to follow despite quite a lot of in depth chess talk nice work!

[@mmtnn]

i liked hearing magnus talk about engines, i wondered how the fact that everyone has access to top level engines influences the game / playing field and hearing him say it becomes a lot more about surprising your opponent and taking them down a path they aren't ready for

[@Aaron-kq5kk]

The way Magnus looks at his relationship with chess and other people is so incredibly mature. I think it sometimes come off as arrogant but that is absolutely not what he is. He is fascinating.

[@themeach011]

The best in the world are often viewed as cocky or arrogant, but that is typically only people that don't understand what it takes to achieve that level. I've wondered if that attitude is a result of the success and confidence they have or whether you need that attitude to be that good. I suspect it's a bit of both. I compete at a fairly high level in my sport so I see the same thing that you are saying in the elite in my sport but I definitely feel like I don't mistake it for something negative.

[@jonegeland5036]

Arrogance is a false sense of superiority and thats not the case with Magnus. He just is superior and has a down to earth relationship with it, not going for the false humility thingy.

[@Xplora213]

He’s had a long time to put away his feelings properly.

[@maxkho00]

I'm so glad people here are able to see it so easily. Everywhere else I go, I see people calling that attitude arrogant when it's just so not. There's a general sentiment within the chess community that to some extent Magnus, but especially so Hikaru is arrogant and has a big ego when that's so far from the truth. They are both simply a combination of very competitive, aware of their strengths and weaknesses, and objective in judgment. People who lack one or more of these qualities will mistake this combination for arrogance, so I'm very glad that there are at least some people out there who don't make the same mistake.

[@nonchablunt]

his rudeness rating is well in the GM-range.

[@maxfightmaster1338]

As a watcher on KZbin and avid chess player who follows the professional circuit having the camera die on Magnus 20 min in was kind of like an “aw man” moment but I’m an adult so I got over it in the next five seconds and am just happy that Lex got to Magnus and was able to get that much of magnus’s time. Literally no one gets that much of his time. Mag is easily the most exciting player to watch just cruise around playing online bullet chess. It’s hard not to like him when he is so brilliant but there are other players who are worth mentioning along with Magnus in today’s chess. Personally, i am a big Wesley so fan, Danil Dubov...Levon Aronian...wow so many....thanks for the pod lex!!!

[@BAMBICIDESEED]

To me it seems like the imposter syndrome thing meant he didn’t want people to see his facial expressions because they give a lot away in chess

[@FloppsEB]

so i just watched the hikaru interview, the negreanu interview i listened to, and now this one - wow, @lex fridman is probably the greatest interviewer i've ever fucking heard. i've never heard these people, aside from negreanu, open up with this level of detail and frankness before, in such a natural way, and even negreanu said many things plainly which i've only heard him vaguely allude to, the art of the interview done exceptionally well, simply amazing. obviously i subbed, and am now going to watch/listen to the other 300+ interviews on this channel, astonishing content. thank you, and well done, sir!

[@sigmundfreud2443]

Its usually bc of a chill longtime format that brings this effect, just human are allowed to speak freely while not much is going on.

[@Nitidus]

@@sigmundfreud2443 Correct as always, Mr. Freud! This is not really an interview setting, it's a talk. Lex is not a journalist interested in some specific information that's relevant to the moment. You can't usefully compare the different formats and they're not competing. Don't overshoot the target putting these videos against other people's work. Just enjoy it for what it is. No need to see who has the longest dingdong.

[@danielandree3947]

There’s a few reasons. 1) it’s long format, so lex can give them as much time as they want to answer each question. 2) because it’s long format, he also doesn’t need to cut them off at all, a lot of issues that interviewers have, is that they have x number of questions that they have, and they’d rather ask every one of those questions, then get in depth answers for the ones they do ask, so a lot of interviewers end up cutting people off, answer parts or all of the question they ask instead of letting the person actually answer the questions unimpeded in their own words. 3) he does ask about controversies, and tough questions, but he does it properly, he doesn’t go into the question with any biases or judgements, he isn’t asking to gain information to be able to judge, he is asking simply to gain the information, so he allows the person to really think about and answer the question as they please, and if they are lying in their answer, he doesn’t attack them for it, he will move on (which gains him favor with the interviewee), but he will ask other questions down the line, that tie back into the original question, and does so in a way that doesn’t call them out directly for lying or showing any form of judgement, and he does it so well that he can get the real truth out of someone without them even realizing it. Lex really does an amazing job, a lot of it is because he allows the person to actually answer, he doesn’t go in with pre judgement, and he doesn’t act like he knows anything about what he’s asking about regardless of how much he does know, he goes in asking like he knows absolutely nothing, allow the interviewee to be able to explain it in depth, which is good because it lets the interviewee give in depth answers, and it allows the professional to be able to explain to the viewer so they can understand, even if he already gets it, his viewers might not, so he always asks like he has no idea, and when the interviewee says something in an answer that only people with prior information would understand what they’re talking about, he slows it down, and interjects then to allow for the viewer to understand by asking a detailing question about what the persons talking about (for example, he could ask magnus about a chess opening, and magnus says something about the opening that only people who play chess would understand, he will then ask, so by “the London opening, you mean moving the bishop to c4 pinning x piece, that means that the opponent can no longer move their piece without losing the piece that is being blocked by that current piece right now” something like that, which gives the viewer a better understanding of the details of the answer). There are so many different techniques that interviewers can do to draw out information, the biggest one that most interviewers don’t do, is actually let the person answer the question…. Interviewers a lot of time have a problem for some reason to just sit and listen for an extended period of time without interjecting, which is the biggest problem that interviewers have when interviewing people, which is funny because it’s the most important and main point of actually interviewing people, but for some reason a lot of people just can’t simply shut up and listen and let them respond for as long as they want with as much detail as possible.

[@sigmundfreud2443]

@@Nitidus I agree and to specify the "Lex isnt the genius Interviewer approach": I think he gets carried by the format more than that he is doing something specifically good with the format. He even mentioned that he isn't really good with language (translating his own thoughts and the complexity of them in words) and I feel you can see it here. He isn't bad either but certainly no one that opens the other "geniusly". His style is openes and vulnerability that provide some sort of ego death in his interviewpartners so you have a good thoughtful and open conversation but in it there seems to be plenty of room for depth which he isn't really able to reach.

[@jerryb216]

@@danielandree3947 This is exactly how I would describe his success as well. He also just has a natural ability to match the other person's energy and or play off of it which is extremely hard to do if you can't understand the other person. I think that's his biggest strength when looking at how he gets people to open up

[@stevencrabbe]

40:16 If this camera still works, why not show everything this way?

[@ElroyMunson]

Magnus is fascinating. I could listen to him all day. I don't even play chess.

[@TipoQueTocaelPiano]

Brilliant interview. It is a rare ocassion when someone interviews a chess player and doesn't ask all the stereotypical meaningless questions. Lex seems well-informed, but his questions are unassuming: he did a great job.

[@koplak9809]

He play a lil bit chess himself I think

[@RamonesFan201]

Puhh-Lease, These were ALL sterotypical questions. especially towards the end lol

[@TipoQueTocaelPiano]

@@RamonesFan201 No, they aren't. They are common questions for experts, not for outside interviewers, and they are asked with elegance and depth.

[@dominykasrimsa7703]

Hey Lex, great guests, very interesting topics and conversations! One thing that could be improved though is asking more open ended questions. I'm a UX researcher having to interview people a lot and once I learned to ask open ended questions instead of asking questions and right away suggesting answers and stopped piling up a few questions as one - the interviews and the answers became much more elaborate, genuine and interesting. I think your interviews could also benefit a lot of tuning your questions to be more open ended and concise.

[@yairgreen2633]

I find the nepo- ding analysis by magnus at 1:01:37 to be extremely fascinating considering the actual results. Magnus was so accurate regarding their weakneses and strengths. What an incredible interview!

[@weignerleigner3037]

Yeah Gotham was pretty spot on too he said ding would start bad and do better while other players are the opposite.

[@nicosmind3]

44:54 "I also know now that it's not going to last forever, so every little win gives me joy now" Nice to hear Magnus has reached that level where he has realistic expectations about life. Accepting the bad, and bad things takes a level of maturity and wisdom that even relatively old people (like 60s) sometimes don't have. Or people go their whole life's struggling with it, and every little "speed bump" causes them an upset which if they don't fight can end up becoming a spiral.

[@Idk-os4ix]

Magnus is probably the greatest chess champion we could have ever asked for. I mean really, the answers given by magnus was such a bliss to hear. Very deep , meaningful and well thought answers. He was super friendly throughout the interview. No arrogance but just stating factual why he is the greatest. I will and forever will consider magnus to be the best world champion of chess. Fischer sort of made it seem that to be soo good in chess , you have to sort of sacrifice mental health which wasnt very appealing while kasparov made it seem that you have be arrogant and outright rude to others to make yourself feel like the best but magnus isnt arrogant , rude nor delusional. Despite being the WC, he made chess seem fun and an easily accessible sport. Imagine fischer or kasparov playing bullet chess with his friends drunk while on twitch or live streaming and winning an online chess tournament while sitting in a hot tub live on stream. Magnus is truly the GOAT

[@vibovitold]

Indeed I can't imagine Kasparov playing bullet or blitz drunk, calling his opponents "morons", showing them middle finger, and what's more posting this publicly for everyone to see. So arrogant, that guy

[@bhaveshdas7819]

@@vibovitold that's great and all, but its not like he's objectively wrong lmao. He still kicks their ass even after being flat out drunk

[@Ram-zm6og]

It's because he has imposter syndrome. He knows there is more to life than chess.

[@interstellarbeatteller9306]

..but you also have to imagine if Morphy, Kasparov & Fischer had 3000+ rated engines to work with, and decades of tested theory to use. I prefer to say there's a bunch of GOATS who made their mark on Chess history & it's a pleasure to watch Magnus in real time

[@vibovitold]

@@bhaveshdas7819 the comment i responded to claimed that Carlsen - as opposed to Kasparov - isn't arrogant or rude. which isn't really true, as Carlsen often engages in behavior that's far from classy, whether in informal situations or formal ones (like angrily storming out of press conference after Karjakin's win in their WC match) i'm not questioning that he's beating people left and right, but that has nothing to do with character or professional conduct. "You're not wrong Walter, you're just an asshole"

[@elena__sh]

Incredible person! Magnus is so humble and open. You can see that he’s not just the best chess player in the world, but a really nice guy

[@jrhwood_]

Excellent conversation Lex! You continue to maintain a high calibre line up of guests on your podcast.

[@jackedup8135]

Imagine that, the number one chess player in the world, possibly the greatest of all time, having impostor syndrome over coming on Lex's podcast. What a humble, down to earth guy. He's a real one for sure! Smashed it Lex 👌💪♟🔥

[@saucymew]

Do you have a time stamp of where he mentions this?

[@thomassag]

@@saucymew The very end :)

[@MrYounis26]

If he thinks that then imposter syndrome's spell is getting broken from my eyes.

[@johnmcmillen4540]

well, i don't think having an imposter syndrome equals to being humble. Magnus seems to me not at all humble. Brutally honest for sure, but not humble. In one of his banter blitz sessions he mentioned it himself: He even takes being called "modest" or "humble" as an insult. Maybe his "nonchalant" attitude in such encounters like here creates a bit an impression of modesty...

[@TheAluvisify]

@@johnmcmillen4540 I'm 99% sure Magnus was being sarcastic when he said that line. I mean, he couldn't agree with the person calling him humble since that sounds less humble than anything else.

[@Augustus_Imperator]

Don't worry about the camera dying, I usually watch the podcasts because it helps me focus on what's said otherwise I might get distracted if listening only but it's ok, thank you for your great work and your great podcast as always

[@bubnjarovski]

Extremely unprofessional not having a second camera.

[@Augustus_Imperator]

@@bubnjarovski this is not his profession, it's his passion and a gift for us all to witness such great minds. and he's one of the best at it. ever heard about the word "gratefulness"?

[@hook8535]

@@bubnjarovski understanding Lexs character I will almost guarantee you this won’t happen for another 100+ interviews so youll be ok for a while

[@none_of_your_business]

especially since when openings were being discussed there was still footage of the board on the screen so no harm done. it was a great thing to listen to on the train on my commute to work. thank you lex

[@JustinBlazzzee]

@@Augustus_ImperatorMaybe it wasn’t his profession but it’s his main source of income now. He makes a ton from his channels.

[@arindo]

I'm imagining the moment Lex realized the camera had not been recording so early into the interview. Must be pure anguish. Anyway, thanks Lex for going through many apparent and unseen hardships for bringing this content to us. I appreciate your genuineness.

[@claudiomicheli3863]

Lex I wanted to take a moment and really thank you not only for this wonderful episode but also for your gentleness in taking interest in our questions and asking Magnus about them. It's been an unspeakable treat to have personal curiosities (that I thought I would have never had the chance to satisfy) addressed like this, especially in the context of such a captivating conversation. I also wanted to let you know that I owe you the good trajectory I'm experiencing in my life right now; I've struggled with discipline and organization for a very long time, and watching how you structure your day regardless of motivation (opposite to the Magnus style) has been incredibly inspiring to me. Wish you the best of the best, a friend from far away.

[@ETBrooD]

I love how Carlsen explains that he only works on things that he wants, in the ways that he wants. If something doesn't interest him, he won't do it. This is a hugely valuable piece of information. Carlsen also mentions that coaches have a structured approach, and that this doesn't go well with him. He studies on his own time, in his own way, in his own direction, from his preferred material at any given time. Without strict direction, without strict guidance. Very free. One might argue that this is what enables him to maintain his passion for so many years. It would explain why he voluntarily gave up his title of world champion - because he felt restricted by it, which would be hurting his passion.

[@Micas099]

Magnus, like say, Einstein, are extreme human outliers, so of course he's going to do what he wants. There's no great epiphany there. Those that are the greatest at a thing will always do what they want. And the reason he gave up his title is that he's not interested in playing yet another slog of a match whose outcome has already been predetermined. Magnus wants to play the anti-Magnus, which everyone thought would be Alireza Firouzja, but he's not ready. Then yet again, Nepomniachtchi wins the candidates so why would Magnus want to play Nepo when it would be more of the same? Ultimately, it's bad for everyone. Whoever wins the next championship will have an asterisk next to their name, which is a shame.

[@johnnycto7576]

Or, how Millenials killed Chess.

[@SK-tk6bi]

It's such a simple fucking common sense concept, so I don't understand why the vast majority of people don't get it. Many lives have been ruined because someone wasn't allowed to do what they wanted just because of other people's flawed notions.

[@ETBrooD]

@@Micas099 What came first, the chicken or the egg? Maybe Carlsen is an outlier precisely because of his refusal to abide by other people's rules. Maybe there are many people like him who'd lead overall better lives if we allowed them to do things their way.

[@skitzcunt4213]

yeh thats why it never worked out with Kasparov... he was a tireless, disciplined worker... apparently total opposite of how carlsen likes to study

[@robdubent]

You asked two of my submitted questions!!!! Thank you!!!! I’m so happy you got him on your podcast. This is by far the best interview out there from him. You can tell he likes and respects you. It doesn’t come off like it’s a chore for him. Which is quite rare! Also I especially love how you’re asking about his ‘algorithm’ and psychology behind his approach to everything, not just his play. I’ve always wanted to ask him about that and you finally did it. So refreshing. Thanks guys!! ‘I’m never trying to get re-elected when I play a game of chess’ -Magnus replying to a Henry Kissinger quote/response to politics. Fantastic.

[@wZem]

13:30 This part I find very interesting and has been the source of some dispute between a friend and me. The question whether it is necessary to have a board fully visualized in your head to play blindfolded or even just to be really good at chess. Searching about this on the internet seemed to show that not every good or even great chess player has a fully visualized board in their head. Some techniques involve breaking the board down into four quadrants for blind matches. But seemingly most people struggle see a full board in their head. Personally I have great difficulty fully visualizing anything in my head, something I learned is called 'aphantasia'. And I was always under the impression that that is part of why I had no natural talent for chess and that people who had the ability to visualize a board would have a great advantage in chess. My friend always argued that the biggest factor for being able to play blindfolded comes from experience and memorizing lines and just simply knowing chess very well. The fact that the greatest active chess player immediately answered that he has fully visualized boards in his head, makes me feel like I was somewhat right.

[@dangallagher6176]

I've regularly tried to visualize the board in my head as I've progressed in chess. For reference, I am now 2000 Elo rapid, and here are my 2 cents on your dispute with your friend: The better you can visualize the board, the easier it will be able to play blindfolded. Practising calculation will improve your ability to visualize the board. Being great at chess requires great calculation skills, which in turn creates strong board visualization abilities, so you cannot become great at chess without being great at visualizing the board, but it is the chess skill that causes good visualization, rather than a natural ability to see the board from the start. With regards to aphantasia and whether you have it - I have no clue how to test for it, I only have my own experience to go off. But my opinion is that if you can visualize the rooms inside your home well, you have the potential to visualize the board at least to that same extent, it'll just take a lot of practise.

[@Ewan_Smith]

As a fan of both chess and jiu jitsu, seeing interviews with both Gordon Ryan and Magnus Carlsen are really interesting - it would be great to see such dominant people from different fields in the same interview and see where theor thoughts overlap

[@evigkrig4386]

This conversation must be rare, glad you managed to get Magnus on the podcast. 🇳🇴

[@Disturban]

Been so excited for this one! The perfect interviewer for a guest like this

[@tomsterling7195]

Wow, look who's here 🙏

[@the_Googie]

FANTASTIC interviewer!! I love that you opened the conversation with football, basketball, and overall questions about personal philosophy. It is a refreshing starter for the conversation to come.

[@pa7764]

Liked and commented after the intro - THANK you for every conversation with these interesting people you share with us! The camera is a small perk on the side.

[@sams6l87]

Brilliant conversation, magnus simplyfies complex concepts easily and that could be another bonus to his genius thinking

[@Cypekeh]

Thank you for providing visual replacement as well, I like to watch your podcasts because I feel like I retain more information when I see facial expressions, but in general having some visual medium allows to give your full concentration and not be distracted by something in the background

[@mickeysmcgee]

I don't know about others but I kind of like the slides more than the live interview. It adds good context and references to what is being talked about. I might consider adding something like this to other interviews.

[@serenaalimentos2731]

Each new interview, Lex improves.. better questions; better listener; good pacing; funny; serious; hi is subtle; and is respectful... and know about the context of who his interviewing. Top natch

[@SandSeven]

This podcast scratches the itch of curiosity time and time again. Lex's ability to ask the right follow up questions in the best way in order to get the most insight from a guest is in a league of it's own. Keep up the good work, and more Joscha Bach is always good. I'm still pondering his ideas on consciousness with the role feedback loops play. I'm rambling as usual, so I'll simply say; thank you good sir!

[@itsZybn]

Love that you started with a topic that wasn't chess related. I'm sure it was a breath of fresh air for him compared to most interviews.

[@willudallmusic]

i found it strange at first, but you're right, it loosened things up

[@vibovitold]

Fridman gambit

[@LittleJohnJunior]

Thank you both for an amazing interview. This has to be one of my favourites. I would love to see another episode with Magnus - very inspiring.

[@TV-xm4ps]

Love how humble he comes across, which feels to me like it stems from a great honesty. Very pleasant.

[@fredtaylor9792]

It's amazing anyone can play chess for a living and not be humbled. Losing a chess game is the most humbling experience you can have, intellectually. It makes you question yourself in ways most sports can't. It's a direct attack on your ego and intellect but I'll forever be amazed at the ego's some people have I suppose. Magnus is a huge inspiration. He lives streams some of his games, providing his thoughts and comments real time. 10 to 20 years ago a chess player wouldn't do that even if they could.

[@petercohen3966]

Great interview and great choice to interview Magnus. I usually listen to audio only and in any case 20 minutes of video was more than enough to get his vibe. I actually wish you'd do more overlays in future. They were great.

[@1shpendi]

Lex is killing it. Absolute savage on the podcast world. And is all free on KZbin. What a blessing.

[@omg_stoppit]

I saw the upload and was blown away. I’m a huge Magnus fan even though I’m not super into playing. Hearing them speak together is amazing.

[@Lecluyse2000]

Best podcast on youtube right now

[@maxkho00]

Why do you think he is a good podcast host? To me, he comes across as pretty ineloquent (often being unable to formulate his question precisely), repetitive (just count how many times he used the word "beautiful" or brought up Messi out of nowhere), and simplistic in his views (his takes in this particular podast were fine, but in others, like the one with John Carmack, the superficiality of his views really shines through). Some of his questions are somewhat interesting, but nowhere near interesting enough to compensate for all the other downsides. What makes you think he is a "savage" and is "killing it"?

[@1shpendi]

@@maxkho00 Is the variety of subjects and guests what makes him the best. His drive and hard work and prepared questions for his guests and the quantity of podcasts per week or months. I am a poker player for over 27 years, thats all i do to earn money for my living, i was surprised he knew so much poker players and about poker world. Simply i love his hard work and no one works harder than Lex on the podcast world, thats what makes him a savage. I been following him since he had no more than 20-30 thousand subscribers, and yes he is killing it now and is well deserved because he works hard. No one surprises his followers with variety of interesting guests than Lex. Every single time a new podcast upload is a pleasant surprise and i speak for most followers of his work when i say this. He is also very up to date with the trends of the world, for example Joe Rogan and others frown upon KZbin comments without realizing the best comedy on earth is found in KZbin comment section, generally speaking also good people interactions. Better than twitter facebook etc, and Lex is aware of that. In fact i been following him so long i feel i know him so well now that i knew when JRE went off KZbin to Spotify, me being a poker player i could tell Lex’s inner joy in his face that he saw himself being here today with a huge following after JR leaving KZbin. I still like JRE and bunch of other podcasts Andrew Huberman but Lex is number one right now.

[@1shpendi]

@@maxkho00 Is the variety of subjects and guests what makes him the best. His drive and hard work and prepared questions for his guests and the quantity of podcasts per week or months. I am a poker player for over 27 years, thats all i do to earn money for my living, i was surprised he knew so much poker players and about poker world. Simply i love his hard work and no one works harder than Lex on the podcast world, thats what makes him a savage. I been following him since he had no more than 20-30 thousand subscribers, and yes he is killing it now and is well deserved because he works hard. No one surprises his followers with variety of interesting guests than Lex. Every single time a new podcast upload is a pleasant surprise and i speak for most followers of his work when i say this. He is also very up to date with the trends of the world, for example Joe Rogan and others frown upon KZbin comments without realizing the best comedy on earth is found in KZbin comment section, generally speaking also good people interactions. Better than twitter facebook etc, and Lex is aware of that. In fact i been following him so long i feel i know him so well now that i knew when JRE went off KZbin to Spotify, me being a poker player i could tell Lex’s inner joy in his face that he saw himself being here today with a huge following after JR leaving KZbin. I still like JRE and bunch of other podcasts Andrew Huberman but Lex is number one right now.

[@MrTr0tsky]

Superb questions and even more brilliant humble, thoughtful and deep answers! Many thanks Lex Fridman and Magnus Carlsen for doing lengthy interview...had to interrupt to do some moves in between because it was so inspiring!

[@darojax]

Nice work on the camera feed replacement footage! Very interesting.

[@jubilee]

Lex - you are what this world needs more of. Appreciate you ❤

[@ishant6003]

based channel listening to based podcast

[@c.chinaski3156]

Jubilee - you are what this world needs less of.

[@googm]

get outta here with your fake az videos. average iq of 128 in that iq video, get outtttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaa heerrree

[@liam4862]

@@c.chinaski3156 couldn’t agree more

[@Zenith9132]

How does Jubilee know about Magnus

[@xIsouLcruSHca]

As someone whose love for chess is almost as big as my love for these podcasts, I can merely describe these podcasts as cloud 9

[@jyotiwelry]

This CD is very calming kzbin.infoUgkxzpa8CIfZcihW4Z0F_ja0QF3W9KIatrsq the first meditation focuses on breathing, the second guides you through the Buddhist metta bhavana--loving kindness to all, and the third is a meditation to be used when walking. him is originally from Scotland, so there is a little accent to his voice, but it is very soothing and not at all distracting. If you are a beginner to meditation, this CD will walk you through all the steps of relaxing and breathing as well as sending out the positive thoughts of love and kindness that will be returned to you. We have several CD's, but this one is a favorite that we choose most often.

[@iemzieezz]

Magnus is fascinating. It's nice having him do an interview in a slower-paced, less formal/stressful setting than the news or a press conference. This interview was also so far more intelligent than most Magnus interviews and Magnus, who is usually rather introverted, seemed to open up and was up for discussing topics far more in depth. Thanks!

[@leonardomagliolo2938]

That's a wild crossover! Lex's effort to provide best quality contents over more than 300 videos is totally mind-blowing. Keep going, your success is our success.

[@MeanHoneyBadger]

"I mess things up sometimes" I love the humility Lex. Thank you for all that you do.

[@zoranmedved1141]

After 20 or so interviews watched, I finally decided I like you mr. Fridman. Your's idiosyncracit style was almost impenetrable for me, but after this interview I'm a true fan. 👍

[@dozzio]

Loved this, Carlsen is such an interesting man. Great to get an insight into a great chess player, would love for you to have him back on in the future.

[@morugastyle5820]

YES! Thank you. This is hands down the best podcast. Incredible range of guests.

[@joewwright92]

This is the best interview of Magnus I have ever heard.

[@none_of_your_business]

also the longest

[@desmozGenes]

Thank you so much for this interview! Thanks to Magnus for accepting! I love it, it's definitely one of my favourites you've done so far, and I've seen a lot of them!

[@jodi8076]

Not being a chess player, I'd never heard of Magnus Carlsen, but I listen to Lex all the time. I really enjoyed this conversation. Thanks Lex, as always, for being yourself and bringing out the best in others. Thanks to Magnus, for being another positive influence on the world.

[@sailorjerry3720]

If there were Emmy Awards for a podcast, there is zero doubt that this captivating and beautiful conversation would have my vote. I found myself smiling ear to ear into the early hours of the morning with the work day drawing closer and not a care in the world of it because I've been engrossed yet again. Even the folly of the camera failing and the opportunities which it presented for unique and engaging editing and overlays was brilliant to experience as it added so many layers of context to the topics. Thank you so much, Lex. Your work enriches.

[@MrDangerousBOB]

Just another great podcast Lex. Thank you for always being so genuine.

[@ForeverNeverwhere1]

How do you know? You made this response as soon as the podcast dropped.

[@adamstewart247]

Best interview of Magnus ever wow - I love that you didn't only stick to chess, but covered his love for NBA etc

[@thor.halsli]

NBA? FIFA you mean?

[@3Looy]

@@thor.halsli basketball

[@ketchembass5869]

Great interview Lex! This is my favorite interview you’ve done and I wasn’t bothered at all by the camera dying. Hat tip to you good sir!

[@by7810]

Lex Sir just wanted to add that you guys pulled off a great save! I usually watch on KZbin and although regular method is preferred this was a super solid go of it! Adding old videos and photos gave great context. Good job keep killing it 🙏🏻🤙🏻

[@danielbowden5610]

Lex, you are officially the best podcaster on the planet. This is God tier!

[@interestingcommentbut....7378]

@@jorgel4867 If you watch Lex you are already a Nerd

[@matthewandrew8423]

Impaulsive >>> Lex the robot

[@lionelmessisburner7393]

Lex literally is boring asf but he has goats like magnus on his pod

[@danielbowden5610]

@@lionelmessisburner7393 Tbf he's actually not boring, there's a reason he has a PhD and a wealth if knowledge in various fields and its definitely not because he's boring. It's just his robotic monotone taking style which is boring but the content (from Lex, not just his guest) is soot on.

[@andrewpaul1611]

I loved this interview so much. And then he ends with the Daniel Johnston song quote. So perfect. “Don’t be sad I know you will. Only if you’re looking will it find you…”

[@M4R5-C4V14R]

The last question and answer hit it on the head.

[@yannick8372]

Lex: ''What is the meaning of life?'' Magnus: ''Theres no meaning, it ends at some point. But it's still a great thing so. You can try and pursue your goals, whatever they may be.''

[@saharshbij]

The more I learn about Magnus the more I find there is to like about him, really loved seeing the off-board side of his personality unveiled like this. Btw so happy discovering Magnus is well aware of agadmator & gotham's existence, hope Levy gets to steal him for a stupidly long podcast too

[@smmshoe]

he is doing live streams for years talking about stupid shit and posting videos of him playing soccer with his seconds

[@Matthew-bu7fg]

If you watch Levy then you're 12 years old

[@saharshbij]

@@smmshoe Yup, this video of him trash talking with Naroditsky is my personal favourite- kzbin.info/www/bejne/i37cnJapjdmpeZY

[@silas3463]

@@Matthew-bu7fg wrong mate

[@silas3463]

@@Matthew-bu7fg most of his viewers are between 18 and 25

[@minnyh]

A couple of excellent humans conversing freely and intelligently. Very enjoyable. Thank you both.

[@ARP199]

The last 15 minutes of this podcast is pure gold ✨

[@TH-xr4uj]

This was one of your best interviews Lex. I am a big chess fan. I watch classical games at 2am from Australia. Don’t judge me 😂. So good to see Magnus so open. This was one of his best interviews and I’ve seen a lot of them. He is such an incredible player. A bit surprised you didn’t throw Lasker in the mix, 27 years as world champion. But there you go. Good job.

[@Rahimske]

Lex, I really am enjoying this podcast. But in viewing this podcast, I realized I really enjoy the intimacy and reading of mannerisms and expression that you get when you get to see the person speaking. It's unfortunate that the camera malfunctioned on Magnus. If possible, please have a backup camera running at all times in case something like this happens again in the future.

[@EternalBreton82]

What a great interview. Loved hearing all these interesting questions to Magnus and his interesting response. Intersting about chess and training. I think it is great that he trains his body not just his mind. Same with Caruana. I wish they would train their body a little bit more though, I love the mind and body health idea, that they go hand in hand, fit body fit mind, from greek philosophy and other places.

[@MrTalkingzero]

The world needs more of this kind of interview. An intelligent, prepared journalist interviewing an intelligent subject. It is a true learning experience, a win win all around. Lex Fridman, you are fantastic. Thank you.

[@lololamize]

Listening to Magnus, it seems he feels the weight of being a champion in a very responsible and rather deep sense. According to him, it is basically about his responsibility to reflect via championship games what the rating says. Losing is ok but only to someone actually stronger. He seems to genuinely care that people should actually be able to recognize who the best player is and ensure that the world championship mirrors this - as if he tries to protect people from being swindled.

[@maxkho00]

All very competitive people have this attitude. Just having good results for them isn't enough - they need to actually be feel like they are better than their opponent to be satisfied. And when they don't feel like they are better than their opponent, they know that just a couple of games isn't going to change that, so they don't feel any regret if they lose. As someone who is also extremely competitive (in my case, probably unhealthily so), Magnus' approach to results feels very relatable.

[@rdubb77]

Michael Jordan syndrome

[@floridaLise]

Who was it that said, "Playing chess is all about crushing your opponents mind." I don't agree at all. I see it to be more of a communication, an interaction, but that's my personality.

[@maxkho00]

@@floridaLise As a chess player, it may be nice to think of it this way, but "crushing your opponent's mind" is definitely more accurate to what it actually feels like playing the game, especially when you're on the losing side lol.

[@floridaLise]

@@maxkho00 I don't ever want to be that good at chess to think that way.

[@cesarromerop]

these long conversations manage to extract so many gems out of interesting people in a way no other interview managed to do in the past: - detailed discussions of perception and feelings about the 2016 world championship match - talking about why he enjoyed the 2018 match the most and why he thought it wouldn't have been so bad to lose against fabiano - his confidence going into the 2021 match - revealing that he had already had several private conversations about walking away from the title even before the last match - his detailed opinions about how to improve the world championship format in a way that no other interview covered before - his opinion about whether segei should be banned based on his opinion even though he totally disagrees with it - admitting he thought he would be norway no 1 but not world no 1 - even admitting at the end that he hesitated to do the podcast because both the host and audience are pretty smart and he has impostor syndrome.

[@ernestofurchtgott5421]

“If you accumulate small wins you can make your life pretty easy in the endgame” Great analogy for life

[@Longshanks2626]

I'm here to listen not watch, love your work Lex so happy JR gave you the push and confidence you needed to start your podcast. Thanks for your work don't change a thing.

[@abhijit6545]

Currently the best podcast in the world.

[@Glowbox3D]

Another fantastic interview Lex--I had to 'check' this one out for sure. Magnus is a true rarity, and I'm glad the show Queen's Gambit brought me back to chess after all these years, and that in my generation I'm able to witness a true master of the game. I'm so intrigued by him. What a trippy life he must live. Both a blessing and a curse I'm sure.

[@matthewrichmond4139]

Carlsen's exact thoughts about Messi replicate my own - to a tee. The first time I have heard another human say exactly what I have said all along even including Higuain fluffing his chance at the World Cup. It was like watching myself. Now if I could play chess half as good as him.

[@InattentiveADHB]

I've watched about 50 of your videos Lex. Surprised to see this one; it was one I didn't know I wanted. Thank you very much. Subbed.

[@Perfumologia]

2 hours 31 mins that I'm going to watch from the beginning to the end.

[@peterhardie4151]

20 minutes in and its already very insightful.

[@yeabsirasefr6209]

19.35 minutes of watching and 2.1217 hours of listening

[@Michael-vf2mw]

What do you have against the last 52 seconds?

[@robdubent]

Same

[@sushilganesh07]

just finished

[@philipcaballero8834]

Whether the camera broke or not ;) the pictures and discussion were surprisingly more engaging and stimulating than spending mental energy watching the video.

[@jordan22031991]

The only podcase I have heard till today and truly enjoyed it !! Thanks @lex

[@wave9142]

Lex quoting a Daniel Johnston song at the end made me so happy