The Child Prodigy

As promised, this post will be about the "hottest" child prodigy this decade, GM Magnus Carlsen. For the benefit of those who aren't really vividly following the international chess scene, this 16 year old boy is certaintly no pushover. At this tender age, he has already attained an unbelivably high rating of 2693, and currently ranks 22nd on the top 100 players list.

Personally, I rather idolise this young kiddo. He's handsome (!?) (wait, no funny ideas okay!), brave, and has this kind of cool/cute side to him too. He certainly isn't one to shun away from a fight, having participated in nearly every single major tournament this year. Despite his often dismal results arising from his playing in Cat A (which includes the elite such as Anand, Topalov, Kramnik, Morozevich, Aronian, Ivanchuk, Svidler, Leko etc.), he continues to participate time and again, fighting against the odds to further his playing abilities. This spirit is really admirable, and one really wonders how professional chess life is like.

Anyway, facts aside, he recently got 2nd place in the very strong Linares- Morelia tournament, only behind Current World No. 1 Vishy Anand. Along the way, he conquered many notably strong players, among them Veselin Topalov, the previous World Champion. However, this quest for champion sadly proved too hard when Carlsen went off track against Peter Leko in the last round, losing quite some prize money in the process. Well, still a good job, considering he was the underdog! Way to go, Carlsen! =)

By now, you must be thinking: "hmmmm.. This post doesnt really seem to fulfil your requirements of cool and interesting, does it?" Well, the exhilarating parts comes NOW. In the video below, Carlsen spars against a provocative TV Host, who delves into everything possible, even Magnus's own private life! Who will win this battle of words? Watch the video to find out for yourself! And hope you enjoy it as much as myself and my brother, who managed a few snorts and giggles.