NIC Podcast #94: GM Simen Agdestein
Today’s episode of the New In Chess Podcast reaches you from Oslo, where the 14th edition of Norway Chess started earlier this week and is in full swing now. Yesterday, while walking around at the venue, the spectacular Deichman library in the heart of the city, I ran into Simen Agdestein, Norway’s strongest grandmaster before Magnus Carlsen and Magnus’s first trainer.
Simen is famous for his remarkable double career. He was not only the country's best chess player for many years, he was also a gifted footballer who played on the national team of Norway on eight occasions.
Simen first appeared on the New In Chess podcast almost exactly two years ago, when we talked about the book that Atle Grønn had written about his remarkable double career, Games and Goals.
When we met yesterday, Simen invited me to visit his school, the NTG, the Norwegian College of Elite Sports, where he has been teaching exceptional sports talents from 1998. Over the years the school has produced twelve grandmasters and of course the most famous and influential pupil was Magnus Carlsen, whose impact on Norwegian chess cannot be overstated.
Of course, I happily accepted Simen’s invitation and suggested that we combine the visit with a talk about Norway Chess, Simen’s school and chess in Norway in general.
And chess and football, as of late these two have been more connected it seems than ever. Many famous footballers claim that there passion for chess helps them on the pitch, and Norway’s biggest star, Erling Haaland, is one of the main investors in Norway Chess’s new venture, Total Chess, a new cycle of tournaments that will start with a pilot edition coming November and then see a first Total Chess World Championship consisting of four tournaments worldwide next year.
So that’s what we talked about and I am sure you will enjoy the conversation, as Simen is a natural story teller, who always speaks his mind. About chess and about football. And much more. Don’t miss it.
0:00 – Intro
2:33 – How the growth of chess in Norway has affected Simen
4:10 – Discovering Magnus Carlsen
9:33 – Why do strong players prefer not to play important matches in their own country?
13:40 – Simen’s school
24:34 – AD BREAK
25:33 – This year’s edition of Norway Chess
31:03 – Magnus’s performance
35:20 – Time controls at the tournament
40:20 – Erling Haaland
47:23 – AD BREAK
47:56 – Simen’s personal ambitions at the moment
52:57 – Who’s going to win Norway Chess?
56:28 – Outro