Self-confidence is very important. If you don't think you can win, you will take cowardly decisions in the crucial moments, out of sheer respect for your opponent. You see the opportunity but also greater limitations than you should. I have always believed in what I do on the chessboard, even when I had no objective reason to. It is better to overestimate your prospects than underestimate them.
Magnus CarlsenAll I expect are wins and to get pleasure from the game. And if someone thinks something about me, if someone's dissatisfied with something... that's not my headache. I hope someday I'll become World Champion - and I'll make all these people happy. But even if for some reason that doesn't happen it won't stop me getting pleasure from chess. I'm sure of that.
Magnus CarlsenOf course, analysis can sometimes give more accurate results than intuition but usually itโs just a lot of work. I normally do what my intuition tells me to do. Most of the time spent thinking is just to double-check.
Magnus CarlsenI learnt an enormous amount, but there came a point where I found there was too much stress. It was no fun any more. Outside of the chessboard I avoid conflict, so I thought this wasn't worth it.
Magnus CarlsenIt's easy for me to get along with chess players. Even though we are all very different, we have chess in common.
Magnus Carlsen