The chess world is about to converge on an island off the coast of Singapore with the express goal of crowning a world champion. “What we’re playing now is in many ways a purer, long-form game than normal classical chess,” Carlsen says. It’s why Carlsen shocked the chess community by willingly ceding his throne as world champion in 2022. Carlsen still competes for the World Blitz Chess Championship, which he has won a record seven times. The unspoken force that has reshaped classical chess more than any other is the rise of super-powerful chess engines.

Source: Wall Street Journal November 24, 2024 13:03 UTC