The Magnus Carlsen vs. Viswanathan Anand WCC match is beyond a mere battle of generations. It is a conflict of ideologies and approaches to the game.

During Kasparov’s era it was fashionable to try to “solve” chess and to know your lines up to a draw, or even a win. Apart from possessing a unique talent, Garry had arguably the best team of seconds and the most powerful chess computers at his disposal.

God made men, but Samuel Colt made them equal

Nowadays every club player owns a chess engine that is stronger than the famous Deep Blue supercomputer. As a result, the focus has shifted from trying to get an objectively better (or even winning) position to obtaining a position which suits your style and surprises the opponent. Magnus Carlsen, just like Anatoly Karpov earlier, is a great ambassador of this approach: get a game going and try to outplay your opponent later on.

Perfect knowledge vs. perfect skills

So, if Magnus represents the “new”, more practical approach, does it mean that it is better than the old”, more analytical one? Not exactly. In the past we have seen similar confrontations. For example, Capablanca (raw talent) defeated Lasker (academic approach), but was succeeded by Alekhine (workaholic).

Obviously, if one has perfect (tablebase) knowledge, then there is no need to have any skills. Similarly, if you can work out the best move in any position, there is no sense in memorizing anything. However, humans are not perfect, so we have to rely on both these capabilities. If you take any world champion, then you will notice that he had both amazing practical skills and an extensive knowledge of theory. Although Kasparov says that “Carlsen plays without openings, while Anand - without endgames” in the match, one shouldn't forget that both Magnus and Anand are better than 99.9999999% of the world’s player base in BOTH openings and endgames. Garry is talking comparative advantages here.

Case study: Vladimir Kramnik

My favorite chess player, Vladimir Kramnik, has had three periods in his chess career. During the first one he was ruthless in attacking and incredible in the endgames. Later on, after securing the World Chess Champion title, he started “playing like a book” and making a lot of dull draws, earning himself the infamous “Drawnik” handle. However, for the last few years we have been seeing fireworks and experiments from the Big Vlad all the time. While he probably has the best chess preparation in the world, Kramnik is not afraid to mix it up and try out all sorts of openings, including the unambitious b3-g3 setups or Nf3. He has become much more of a gambler and practical player. As a result of this evolution, at 38 he is still one of the world’s top-3 players and a great role model for all the chess fans.  

Future prospects

I believe that Magnus Carlsen will win the WCC match and thus prove that a new era has come. When all the professional players have chess engines and databases, it is more about being good at actually PLAYING than at being booked up. Fewer GMs will be making excuses along the lines of “I have forgotten my analysis”; “he was better prepared”; “if only I had a novelty in the Berlin Defense”. This WCC will inspire amateurs to play more creatively and to feel free to experiment and take their chances even in the systems which they haven’t mastered that well. Also, importantly, the public perception of the game will change for the better. Nowadays many of the laymen have the impression that chess is just a memory test. When they hear that a certain grandmaster has employed a novelty on move 35, they wrongly assume that chess players are not particularly smart: “all they do is memorizing variations fed to them by the computer 24/7”. Conversely, when they see Magnus Carlsen play, they feel like he is a true genius and an innovator.

P.S. Some readers might accuse me of trying to jump on the “Carlsen train” and being a gloryhunter, who is eager to prematurely celebrate his victory in the WCC. To address those claims in advance, I would like to state that a) I admire Viswanathan Anand a lot and consider him to be one of the greatest chess champions ever b) it is not even a matter of who wins the WCC in the end. The evolution process has begun already, and it is irreversible. Even if Anand manages to somehow secure the title again, the nearest chess future still belongs to players symbolized by Magnus Carlsen.

	1. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 02:14 17 íîÿáðÿ 2013 ã.
	Birth of a Chess Era Great article. As a a follower of Magnus Carlsen's spectacular rise and called it a mould breaking display. As his approach became more distinctly characterised by the refusal to accept assumed truths about the objective assessment of all phases of the game. In the opening he refuses to regurgitate theory but steer the game into a "playable position". In the middle game the creativity and constant challenge he sets opponents refusing to admit options are exhausted. in the Endgame a refusal to accept objective draws. To him playing out a draw is not the same as assuming a drawn position . Welcome to the New Era of a Chess Fighter and Agnostic of Chess Dogma. http://www.facebook.com/chessclublive

	2. Written by This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it on 09:45 17 íîÿáðÿ 2013 ã.
	It's really not 43 vs 22, or Form vs Fo NATURAL chess = Middle game + Endgame    And this is perhaps the best for the common people to enjoy. Who don't have 'much' time to pass through all those Opening Theories.    A great vision in this great Article: it's truly about a Concept vs Concept.    Under the influence of the Homework culture, the modern chess had become too academic to win the hearts of the mass public.     It seems Karpov's era is coming back. The Homework approach clicked when the Computers were weak. But now that the modern machines have levelled (this approach)the ON-THE-SPOT natural chess style once established by Anatoly Karpov, finds a REINCARNATION.    The similar style, but in the atmosphere of the modern facilities and to the level of 2800+.     I especially appreciate with your ending lines:    The evolution process has begun already, and it is irreversible. Even if Anand manages to somehow secure the title again, the nearest chess future still belongs to players symbolized by Magnus Carlsen.[*]null[/LIST] http://www.mebwi.blogspot.in

	3. Written by 0_x on 11:17 17 íîÿáðÿ 2013 ã.
	It's really not 43 vs 22, or Form vs Fo God made men,  Samuel Colt made them equal.  Master Oogway made a dragon warrior;  Who was invincible after reading the dragon scroll.  The dragon scroll was nothing but a reflection...  LoL!    Some things in life are toooo simple to be understood.    If thats not true in chess-  Atleast its true...  For me  .  Hahaa. .!  Merry xmas    0_x

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