All 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 Carlsen

Some people think that if their opponent plays a beautiful game, it's OK to lose. I don't. You have to be merciless.

Magnus Carlsen

powerful beautiful thinking

Of course, analysis can sometimes give more accurate results than intuition but usually it’s 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 Carlsen

intuition giving thinking

You need to have that edge, you need to have that confidence, you need to have that absolute belief that you're - you're the best and you'll win every time.

Magnus Carlsen

belief winning needs

What I admired most about him [Bobby Fischer] was his ability to make what was in fact so difficult look easy to us. I try to emulate him.

Magnus Carlsen

trying facts looks

When you have fun then you're more interested in learning.

Magnus Carlsen

having-fun fun

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 Carlsen

self-confidence winning success

Without the element of enjoyment, it is not worth trying to excel at anything.

Magnus Carlsen

enjoyment elements trying

You have to choose the move that feels right sometimes; that's what intuition is.

Magnus Carlsen

intuition sometimes moving

I started by just sitting by the chessboard exploring things. I didn't even have books at first, and I just played by myself. I learnt a lot from that, and I feel that it is a big reason why I now have a good intuitive understanding of chess.

Magnus Carlsen

learning understanding book

Not winning a tournament is not an option for me, unless it's no longer theoretically possible - then of course winning becomes impossible. But up to that point, not winning is just not an option.

Magnus Carlsen

winning chess success

One of the things that first attracted me to chess is that it brings you into contact with intelligent, civilized people - men of the stature of Garry Kasparov, the former world champion, who was my part-time coach.

Magnus Carlsen

intelligent men people

I'm more interested in the games than the people.

Magnus Carlsen

games people

Kids love games and chess is a game where you have to sit down and concentrate and it just helps in every way.

Magnus Carlsen

down-and games kids

I am trying to beat the guy sitting across from me and trying to choose the moves that are most unpleasant for him and his style.

Magnus Carlsen

psychology guy moving

I've never really had a favorite player, past or present.

Magnus Carlsen

player past

If you want to get to the top, there's always the risk that it will isolate you from other people.

Magnus Carlsen

risk want people

People ask what my goal is. I don't have a goal.

Magnus Carlsen

asks goal people

I get more upset at losing at other things than chess. I always get upset when I lose at Monopoly.

Magnus Carlsen

upset losing chess

The Nanjing games are homework by Garry Kasparov and me, [...] Today's game was provided by Garry.

Magnus Carlsen

games chess today

I think with chess as with everything, marketing is the main issue.

Magnus Carlsen

issues marketing thinking