Carlsen’s camp: Abdusattorov’s secret weapon for Total Chess in Budapest?

Abdusattorov had expressed his interest in training camps or practice games with the Norwegian. Carlsen subsequently extended an invitation during an esports event. | Photo Credit: FIDE/Flickr

Before arriving in Budapest as rivals, Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Magnus Carlsen spent part of October working together in Spain. For the 22-year-old Uzbek, it was an opportunity to exchange ideas with the world No. 1, and the beginning of a collaboration he hopes will continue.

“I think it’s a very uncommon thing among top players to work with each other. But I was very happy to join the camp with Magnus. We played a lot of training games, and we shared ideas, our visions for chess,” Abdusattorov told Sportstar on the sidelines of Total Chess.

The arrangement followed a conversation with Carlsen’s longtime coach, Peter Heine Nielsen. Abdusattorov had expressed his interest in training camps or practice games with the Norwegian. Carlsen subsequently extended an invitation during an esports event, and the two agreed to meet in Spain.

Abdusattorov still considers himself an improving player, with much to gain from such an exchange. He hopes the work will help his results in Budapest, where the Total Chess pilot brings together 24 players for a competition spanning fast classical, rapid and blitz.

The format appealed to him, as did the strong field and the opportunity to earn FIDE Circuit points towards Candidates qualification. His ambitions in the World Championship cycle remain clear, though he wants to approach them differently this time.

Abdusattorov’s successes this year include titles at the Tata Steel Masters and Prague Masters. But his assessment of the previous qualification cycle, in which he missed out on a Candidates place, was less about the games than the expectations he carried into them.

“I don’t want to make the same mistake again. In the previous cycle, I tried really hard; I wanted it very badly. In the end, this kind of mindset didn’t bring me a lot of benefits, and it didn’t work for me,” he said.

Javokhir Sindarov will challenge India’s D. Gukesh for the World Championship crown in Geneva, with the first game scheduled for November 24. | Photo Credit: FIDE/Flickr

His immediate priorities are to improve his chess and his rating. Meanwhile, a teammate is preparing for the match Abdusattorov hopes to reach himself.

Javokhir Sindarov will challenge India’s D. Gukesh for the World Championship crown in Geneva, with the first game scheduled for November 24. It comes fairly soon after Sindarov and Abdusattorov helped Uzbekistan win the Chess Olympiad on home soil in Samarkand in September, adding to the country’s first title in Chennai in 2022.

For Abdusattorov, those achievements are part of a shared ambition.

“We are very motivated. We have a clear goal to make Uzbekistan the number one country in chess. We are working on that goal,” he said.

He credited sustained investment and support from the government and the national federation for making the country’s results possible.

“I’ve said this many times, that without the support of government, I think it’s very tough to achieve big results. It’s truly an immense responsibility and effort to make it all possible,” he said.

Abdusattorov also wants to contribute beyond his tournament appearances. Sindarov already runs a chess academy, he said, and he plans to open one of his own.

He did not set out a timeline, but sees the growing interest in Uzbekistan’s leading players as an opportunity to bring more children into the game. There are now many chess clubs in the country, he said, with success at the highest level giving parents a reason to consider the sport for their children.

“When you have big results, when you have big attention, the parents will be motivated to send their kids to chess clubs,” he said.

“But our job, I think, is to supply our people with our results, with our achievements. And I think that’s the most important part.”

His understanding of a leading player’s responsibilities also extends to helping chess reach a wider audience. New events offer more opportunities, he believes, but players have a part in sustaining that interest through their games, interviews and promotion of tournaments. Greater involvement from the elite, he said, can help attract both spectators and financial support.

Some of that attention already follows him away from competition. Asked what people might not yet know about him, Abdusattorov pointed to the interest in his engagement.

“I think the news of my engagement went viral on social media. So, with time and with patience, they will get to know me even better,” he quipped.