Magnus Carlsen is a very interesting man. Undoubtedly, there’s no one like him when it comes to the game of chess. But we all have seen his love for football and how he is one of the top players in the Fantasy Premier League. However, how many of you know about his interest in basketball. Did you know that before becoming the world chess champion he was a huge fan of NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal?
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While he is a champion in chess, Magnus Carlsen is great with words as well. In fact, beyond chess, he is the kind of person who is always in some sort of action. It’s not something that he adopted after becoming the world chess champion, but Carlsen has always been a curious man who likes to have a lot of fun.
Magnus Carlsen having a perfect fan moment in the crowd
In 2013, before Magnus defeated Indian Grand Master Vishy(Viswanathan) Anand in the world chess championship in Chennai, he was a simple boy who loved the NBA. Here’s a tweet from the world’s number one chess player dated 2013. In the tweet Magnus wrote, “@SHAQ @NBAonTNT? all the way from Norway, can vi get a RT?”
@SHAQ @NBAonTNT all the way from Norway, can vi get a RT? pic.twitter.com/qCYdqyEU
? Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) February 8, 2013
He is even wearing the O’Neal t-shirt wrong. Perhaps the only reason he was in the crowd was to have fun and cheer his favorite Shaquille O’Neal. And the icing on the cake was Magnus demanding a retweet from the NBA legend. However, whether or not Shaquille retweeted, only Magnus can tell.
Will he play in the next world championship?
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The Norwegian Grand Master likes to be mysterious. Not just in the game of chess, but in everything he does. Ever since the 2021 world chess championship, he has been hinting at his retirement, but till now, he hasn’t made anything official. Perhaps he likes to tease the fans, or perhaps he likes to give his opponents false hope.
Carlsen once again spoke about why he is unlikely to play another World Championship match: “I wanted to quit while on top, and it’s clearly what’s most likely to happen, but who knows.”https://t.co/OBodcEoVYf pic.twitter.com/xlntISdUHj
? chess24.com (@chess24com) April 19, 2022
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Do you think he’ll give away his world championship title without a fight? Is it finally over for Magnus Carlsen, or is he once again just playing with the minds of everyone?
