This week’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast features an interview with Danish grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen.

Today’s interview reaches you once again from Oslo, where the 14th edition of Norway Chess ended in a stunning victory for Indian grandmaster Praggnanandhaa. 

‘Pragg’ sensationally won his last four games and on the final day he leapfrogged Wesley So to pip the American at the post.

In the Norway Chess Women’s tournament, first place had already been secured in the penultimate round by the new star of women’s chess, Bibisara Assaubayeva from Kazakhstan.   

This year Norway Chess moved from Stavanger, its home for thirteen years, to the Norwegian capital Oslo. There, in the heart of the city, the spectacular Deichman library was the venue.  

In this second episode from Oslo, New In Chess editor-in-chief Dirk Jan ten Geuzendam talks to an old friend of the podcast, international grandmaster and five-time Danish champion Peter Heine Nielsen. Of course, these days we know Peter best as the trainer of the world’s number one player, Magnus Carlsen.

As Dirk Jan interviews Peter, he looks back on a wonderfully successful Norway Chess that for two weeks got enormous international exposure and created tremendous interest in Oslo. The entire tournament was once again broadcast live on Norwegian television and also had two separate live broadcasts from the venue by Norway Chess and Chess.com.  

Of course, a good part of the conversation focuses on Magnus Carlsen, who lost an unusual number of games – he had to resign both his games against Pragg after compelling fights -and only finished in fourth place, having one of the worst results in his career. 

Peter also talks about the special format of Norway Chess, the unforgiving time control, and try to come up with an explanation for Magnus’s poor performance.

And, not unimportantly, about golf, a passion of both Magnus and Peter. During the tournament they played a lot of golf to clear their minds amid the tension of the chess. Peter loves to talk and philosophize about chess and you will not get bored listening to his lively stories and insights. Enjoy!

0:00 – Intro

2:10 – How did Peter experience the tournament in Oslo?

10:05 – The unique format and time control of Norway Chess

15:20 – Pragg’s performance

20:42 – AD BREAK

21:22 – Pragg beating Magnus twice

26:20 – Magnus’s Armageddon games

27:58 – Wesley So’s performance

29:40 – Firouzja’s injury

35:18 – Magnus’s win against Gukesh in the last round

37:01 – What is Peter’s explanation for Magnus’s disappointing performance?

47:29 – Golf 

55:56 – AD BREAK

56:28 – The Total Chess World Championship Tour

1:01:12 – Will Magnus continue playing classical chess?

1:04:25 – How long will Magnus stay world #1 for?

1:09:35 – Outro