Carlsen's Sincere Admission: Why Magnus Chose Abdusattorov for Training

The world's strongest chess player and multi-time world champion Magnus Carlsen recently revealed why he chose the leader of the Uzbekistan national team as his partner for a closed training camp in Spain: Nodirbek AbdusattorovAccording to ChessBase Nepal, the Norwegian superstar discussed not only the sporting aspects of this collaboration but also the personal and psychological factors.

The Dangers of Online Gaming and Abdusattorov's Professional Status

Carlsen noted that the recent trend among chess players to play in casual online formats can diminish seriousness and foster bad habits. Consequently, the Norwegian grandmaster sought a strong sparring partner to rediscover deep analysis and positional competition under maximum pressure at the classic board.

Speaking about why he chose the young Uzbek prodigy, Carlsen mentioned that while the decision was somewhat spontaneous, it proved to be incredibly right on a human level:

«Nodirbek is a very kind, humble, and gentle person. It is wonderful to know him personally. Even my son really likes Nodirbek, and they hit it off immediately».

Carlsen's long-time coach and advisor Peter Heine Nielsen and English grandmaster David Howell also participated in this important preparation process in Spain.

«Training side-by-side with the world's No. 1 chess player is clear proof that Abdusattorov's place in the global elite has already reached the very top».

A $650,000 showdown in Budapest

After a productive training camp in Spain, both grandmasters headed directly to the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot, with a massive prize fund of $650,000, is currently in full swing there.

The battle in Budapest will determine the true universal chess king — grandmasters are testing their skills in consecutive blitz, rapid, and fast classical formats. From Central Asia, Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the men's category and two-time women's blitz world champion Bibisara Assaubayeva are competing on equal footing in the general standings.

Do you think joint training with Magnus Carlsen will make Nodirbek Abdusattorov a primary contender for the world crown in the coming years? Leave your thoughts in the comments!