[FULL VERSION] Magnus Carlsen Blind & Timed Chess Simul at the Sohn Conference in NYC

hello everyone glad to be here in your presence an honor to be at such a wonderful event for such a wonderful cause today we're going to see something that simply has never been seen before at least I've never seen it before we will have the Mozart of chess Magnus Carlsen playing a blindfold match but a tandem three people at the same time match against three victims let's just call it that Magnus needs no introduction he is one of the greatest chess talents the world has ever seen at 13 years old we have a photo of him at 13 he was already the second youngest grandmaster in history he also drew Garry Kasparov at the tender age of 13 and he also defeated former world champion Anatoly Karpov at the age of 13 a little bit of a slacker well again he needs no introduction but please welcome one of the greatest chess players greatest chess minds in history Magnus Carlsen [Applause] now what you're about to watch Magnus do playing three people blindfold you know grandmasters you know I'm a grandmaster I've done some exhibitions before I played blindfold chest before but Magnus is going to play a clock blindfold that is he's going to have nine minutes total to play the entire game against three people that means on average he will have three minutes per game then he will have to defeat all these players in in three minutes Magnus you ready for this I never done this before I win all right well with that introduction let's bring out his challengers we have three lustrous challengers in the green room I will tell you they all look terrified please have a seat gentlemen we have tables 1 2 & 3 to my far left Chris flowers Wall Street financier he was responsible for helping during the crisis helping with AIG and the bailout Chris says that his wife speaks Swedish so if he loses today he's going to SiC her on Magnus Chris tell us your claim to fame well we respect the chess I would say it's a matter of unrequited love where I love this game more than it loves me as you're going to see in a minute I I studied Magnus's games probably more than he did study mind getting ready for this event and and I will conclude by saying last weekend I was with former world champion Garry Kasparov and I mentioned this game coming up and I asked for his advice and there followed a minute of silence we understand and in the middle Paul Hoffman he is the director of the Liberty Science Center graduated from Harvard summa laude he's a great mathematician scientist author of many books not sure any of that's going to help him today Paul what is your chest claim to fame so I met Magnus when he was 13 in 2004 he was playing for the World Championship in Tripoli Libya and I tried too hard to play chess with Qaddafi and was thrown into jail so this can't be worse indeed thought you were a smart guy and on the far right is Venga aqui nabe an actor he acted on the wire 24 he's currently on the following on Fox he actually played a murderer on the wire so he's ready for this I was his preparation Benga what is your chest claims of Fame I can find Sochi on a map that's that's pretty much it all right so victims to slaughter Magnus is ready but we have to do one more step before that Magnus has to be blindfolded so let's welcome Alison Fornes who will blindfold Magnus Alison in another life is a stand-up comedian this is just to this this is the kind of thing you know you're getting distracted blindfolded in the dark just before he goes to play Thank You Alison and I'd also like to welcome two very important gentlemen first on closest to you is Anatole bike offski he will be making Magnus's moves as Magnus calls out the moves he's also a grandmaster and he's saying he just doesn't want to screw this up that's all he wants and Pascal Charbonneau who will be playing out the challengers moves and calling them out as well they're both miked up the challenge here guys is Magnus will have to keep all three boards in his mind but not only that the clock will be ticking it's a two-phase clock each side has nine minutes Magnus essentially has a third of their time and he has to also keep track of all the boards so the board furthest away from Magnus is board one the middle board is board two and this board is board three the broad closest to us is board three so that's all he has his references board one bore two and board three and he has to keep track of all that in his head you ready Magnus yeah let's go all right let's see what we can do I will try to provide some running commentary I'll be as light as possible in my in my comments because after all we don't want to distract Magnus too much although Chris promised to pay me off if I did gentlemen let the match begin board 1e for board 2d for board one black played b6 b6 or d6 b minus 46 on board two black play Knight f6 word one D for board three C for board one black played Bishop d7 board one Bishop d3 Bishop to d3 on board one and board three he played c4 a little louder please no I mean why I was just down in the white move so black played c5 on board too and white a black just played a five on board three board 3G three board one black played g6 board one c4 on board - it's your move in black played c5 board to d5 board three black played knight c6 board three Bishop d2 board one black played Bishop g7 more than one night of three board three sorry board two black played a six board to Knight c3 board one black played D 6 D 6 D sick dogs a six on for three black played f5 board one Knight c3 and March 393 board two black took on d5 I put e6000 or were to seat XD 5 board 1 black played be 6 board one castles board two black played d6 pawn to d6 board 293 board two black played g6 board one black played h6 more to Bishop f4 on board through three black play Knight f6 board 3 e3 bored - it was a March 1 it was h6 right h6 yeah bored one Bishop III all the challengers are deep in thought bored bored one black play Knight d7 g7 yeah bored one Queen d2 on board three black played Bishop c5 and on board two black played a six more three night g2e two more to black that a six a six apples nicks word to a four board to you at 6:30 for Magnus 6:30 for board one you have six thirty six board one just play Knight to d7 board one Knight to e2 board two black played Bishop g7 board to e3 and board three black Castle kingside board 3d for board to blast black Castle kingside Olson more to h3 bored three black plate eat eggs D four more three eat XD four on that board you have 7 minutes and 15 seconds that's better three challengers once again plunge deep into thought I'm sure Magnus is nervous wondering when are they gonna move on board to black played Queen c7 more to bish b2 on board three black played Bishop b4 were to cast mean board three castles night bt7 or two night bd7 board two castles on board three black played Bishop takes c3 more 3s yeah Knight takes c3 they say that in chess after the first four moves they are three billion possibilities where it about move fifteen on every board I don't wonder how Magnus is keeping track on board two black played b6 boy six more to rook e1 on were three black played d6 board three and rookie one on board one black played c6 board one night g3 on board two black played Bishop d7 board one and I mean board to Bishop c4 on board one black played Queen to c7 board one rook a to C one on board three rook to e8 board three Bishop g5 on board two black play Knight to h5 for to Bishop H to Magnus here at 5:09 on board to 550 one on board one on board two black play Knight to e5 board to Knight takes e5 boy three or at 6:33 black takes back on e5 on board to with the Bishop Bishop takes e5 on board - Queen takes e5 or to Queen b3 as a point of order if the players lose on time they lose the game on board one black Castle queenside that's Queen side I was risky board one b4 on board three black played h6 word three Bishop takes f6 on board two black played rook F to be 8 F to b8 be like boy 8 uh-huh makes sense word word - rook a to d1 on board three black took on f6 with the Jeep on G takes f6 board 3 Queen h5 on board one black played King b8 board one a for board two black played Bishop to c8 board one F for board now I mean bar - quarter black has 2 minutes and 44 seconds on board 3 black does its bro relevant that the position is lost board board to black played Queen to e7 quickly soon when e as an egg serve for two Queen c2 on board three black play Bishop e6 bored three quid g6 check on board three you have three minutes more on board two times about even and board one you have three minutes more and black just played Knight to c8 more one a five on board too what did you play black played Bishop to d7 board to Queenie two both three black Lee King to f8 board three Queen types h6 on board one black played King to a eight board one eight xb6 boy three black is down to 136 you have 510 on board one black took on v6 with the c8 night board one rook see one two a one on board three black played King to f7 board 3d five you down to 333 on boards on board one black played a six board 1c v on board three black played rook to h8 board one D takes ecigs check I mean four three three worth merge three on board one black played night back to see a board one Bishop Bishop takes eight a six and on board two black played Queen to e8 bored to Brooke d12 a one okay on board one black played King to be eight King to be eight yes board one Bishop takes b7 on board three black played King seven board 395 check metal next room on board one board one you played Queen takes b7 board ones he 56 on board two black played b5 more to a b5 on board three black played King to e8 board three Queen takes a shape that is checkmate on board three that is one down two to go [Applause] 41 black played Knight takes D six award one Bishop to f4 and on board two black played eight takes b5 board to rook takes a eight on board one black played v5e five board one D takes d5 on board two black played rook takes a eight more to Bishop takes b5 board one black played Knight takes e5 sorry on board one black plate Knight takes e5 ok board one Knight takes e5 black on board one takes on e5 with the bishop board one Bishop takes d5 board two black played Bishop takes b5 board to Queen takes d5 board one black played Queen to c7 a queen to c7 board would Queen to a two board to Queen d8 David eight board one now I'm in bar to Queen to d3 board one black played Queen B 77 Queen B seven boys like voice hi seven haha board one rook to d1 it's probably on f1 but doesn't matter Brooke you have to do Brooke on board two black played rook b8 like boy more to Queen d2 on board one black played King to c7 King to c7 yeah board one Queen takes f7 check unlock is down to 13 seconds of work for you black played Queen b6 I resign Black has design on board one you're down to one young my rope Brooke to be one rugby one black has 23 seconds you have a minute and six seconds black played Queen b3 b4 black plates e4 e5 Black has 14 seconds Queen b6 check King edge to pawn takes e5 f takes e5 Black has 8 seconds left this doesn't look fun yeah Queen to d8 quick to d8 yes II 6 and the time is up Black has run out of time Magnus wins on all boards an amazing display [Applause] it's love an absolutely incredible feat of memory skill concentration you had an excellent position just a couple of us ago well that was difficult thank you Magnus if you may please share a few words with us was this was the first time you've ever done this I know you've done blindfold exhibitions before but with the clock did that make much of a difference as you were playing yeah it makes it really makes all the difference with without the clock people playing in turn that I can do I can do a lot more than three boards but now it was really stressful with with a limited amount of time but fortunately for me at some point yeah I started to get some advantage in the games and Paul was doing really well but his time was running out so he had to spend too much time to find those good moves tell us did you train for this at all no not played with the clock so I've I've I played a few lifeboats tables before but with the clock that's that was that's a different matter entirely did you feel the clarity it seemed like you had total control over what was going on in your head explain to a lay audience what it's like to be able to play such a match well the thing is that you only need to keep one game in your head at a time so only only one game at a time but the thing is it's it's a little bit difficult to play but I have no idea with my time if I'm running out of time but you know it's it's it's manageable for for good chess player to play to play blind folk but really that the target role does not allow me any time to think the partner of mine and that's that's really a difficult part are you ready to take on six challengers next time well hardly more than Badman status title is short but really it's it's very interesting to to play about full chasity I know I hope you're enjoying it who did we enjoy it ladies and gentlemen thank you so much for spectacular exhibition Magnus give it up for the Mozart of chess one of the great geniuses of our time Magnus Carlsen fantastic and gentlemen thank you very much for joining us we appreciate it thank you thank you Magnus Carlsen for donating your time here today at the sone Conference Magnus's goal is to bring chess to the world with a focus on youth when he's not playing chess he's finding ways to use chess as a fun tool to help make the world a smarter place if you want to find out how to get involved with Magnus's work in chess and find out about his company played Magnus reach out to his management via his website Magnus Carlsen dot-com

Channel: Magnus Carlsen

Views: 3,236,234

Rating: 4.926209 out of 5

Keywords: magnus carlsen, chess, play magnus, play live challenge, magnus blind simul, sohn conference, sohn, blind simul

Id: xmXwdoRG43U

Length: 27min 59sec (1679 seconds)

Published: Fri May 22 2015

Reddit Comments

[u/giganticbaby]

http://i.imgur.com/Y7W3jw3.png

[u/SomeBode]

The lack of using the phonetic alphabet when they were trying to clear up between C, B, and D was driving me crazy.

[u/insomniak03]

I know that inevitably someone is going to try to explain why this isn't such an amazing feat, but damn. That was riveting as fuck.

[u/whatthefuckisareddit]

Magnus needs no introduction

Proceeds to introduce him...

[u/iemfi]

None of his challengers are rated? Would he be able to do this if they were rated players?

[u/TitlersFinalSolution]

/r/fiveheads

[u/[deleted]]

sheesh, tough crowd

thought those intro jokes were decent

[u/DrunkenTmpAccount]

That MC is a super villain. Grand Master Chess-tor!

[u/kuri21]

It's more relevant that the position is lost...ROFL.