Carlsen's preferred World Chess Championship format

By GilaChess - November 24, 2024



Carlsen's Suggested World Chess Championship Format

From Chess.om article aabout Magnus thoughts on the World Championship and his lack of motivation

Magnus Carlsen proposes a World Chess Championship format that incorporates shorter time controls and a knockout or multi-game match structure:

  • Time Controls:
    Carlsen suggests a time control of 60 minutes per player, or 45 minutes with a 15-second increment per move. He believes shorter time controls lead to more decisive games and lessen the impact of pre-game preparation. This proposal has sparked debate among chess enthusiasts, with some arguing that it diminishes the strategic depth of classical chess.

  • Format:
    Carlsen favors a knockout tournament style for the World Championship. Alternatively, he is open to a format akin to the Champions Chess Tour, which features four-game matches. This preference stems from his belief that the current format, with its emphasis on long matches and potential for a single mistake to be fatal, creates an undesirable type of tension. He finds the dynamism and higher risk-taking opportunities in faster time control games more appealing.

Carlsen's suggestions are rooted in his personal preference for faster-paced chess formats and his diminishing interest in the traditional classical format. While some share his views, others advocate for preserving the traditional long time controls of classical chess, arguing that they represent the purest form of the game.


It is important to note that Carlsen has explicitly stated that his suggestions are not intended to pressure FIDE to change the format, but rather reflect his personal preferences.


This quite rightly splits people who oppose and support Carlsen's idea.


Me? I think the separation of time control is good enough. We should have a clear 

  • Classical World Chmpion
  • Rapid World Champion
  • Blitz World Champion
  • the same 3 sets for the Chess64
As for tie break games/ armageddon, I'm opposed to the idea of using rapid and blitz to determine the classical world champion. Maybe some shorter time control tie break games but still within classical time control?

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