There are certainly loads of players that I admire; I try to learn from all of the great masters both of the past and contemporary as well. Magnus Carlsen More Quotes by Magnus Carlsen More Quotes From 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 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 games winning thinking 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