Chess
Magnus Carlsen names his four greatest chess players of all time
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Magnus Carlsen has revealed the four players he believes belong on chess' Mount Rushmore, with the reigning Esports World Cup champion making room for himself among the game's greatest names.
The Norweigian was asked to build his Mount Rushmore of chess during an interview with the Esports World Cup, selecting four figures to represent the very best in the sport's history.
The current world number one chose Bobby Fischer, Garry Kasparov, Anatoly Karpov – and gleefully added himself to the rollcall of superstars.
His choices bring together four players who have dominated very different eras of chess and inevitably leave several former world champions on the outside looking in.
Who is on Magnus Carlsen's Mount Rushmore of chess?
Carlsen selected:
- Bobby Fischer
- Garry Kasparov
- Anatoly Karpov
- Magnus Carlsen
Few will be surprised to see Fischer or Kasparov included.
Fischer became one of the most recognisable chess players in history after beating Boris Spassky to become world champion in 1972, while Kasparov dominated the top of the game for much of the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s.
Karpov's inclusion puts both sides of one of chess' greatest rivalries on Carlsen's list.
The former world champion dominated the game following Fischer's departure and later contested a series of historic world championship matches against Kasparov.
Carlsen also uncontroversially chose himself to be amongst the greats.
The 35-year-old became classical world champion in 2013 and successfully defended the title four times before deciding not to contest another championship match.
He has remained the dominant figure in the sport despite giving up the classical crown, continuing to win major titles across classical, rapid and blitz chess.
Magnus Carlsen adds another title at Esports World Cup
(Getty Images)
Carlsen's selections come shortly after he added another major honour to his own case for a place among the greatest players in chess history.
The Norwegian successfully defended his Esports World Cup title in Paris, defeating Denis Lazavik in the final.
Carlsen won the final 2-0 in sets, taking both by a 3-1 scoreline, to complete an unbeaten tournament.
He finished his EWC campaign with 11 wins and nine draws from 20 games and did not suffer a single defeat.
Victory earned Carlsen the $250,000 top prize and 1,000 Club Championship points for Team Liquid.
Who did Magnus Carlsen leave out?
Reducing more than a century of elite chess to four names means some of the sport's biggest figures inevitably miss out.
Former world champions José Raúl Capablanca, Mikhail Tal and Viswanathan Anand are among the most notable omissions, while 19th-century great Paul Morphy is another player regularly included in discussions about the most influential players in chess history.
Anand is particularly notable given his connection with Carlsen's own career.
The Norwegian defeated the Indian great to become world champion for the first time in 2013 before beating him again in their 2014 rematch.
Carlsen's own inclusion is unlikely to generate much argument over whether he belongs in the wider conversation.
Whether he sits above Fischer and Kasparov as the single greatest player of all time remains one of chess' enduring debates.
But when asked to choose just four names for the game's Mount Rushmore, Carlsen has made his position clear: Fischer, Kasparov, Karpov and himself.
