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By all accounts, the match between two Norwegian teams Stavanger and Nordstrand would have gone unnoticed by most, but for that spontaneous gesture by the world champion.
“It was quite an impulse decision, and I was a bit surprised myself. I was in Stavangar on Thursday, and I'm a member of the club there. We talked a little bit about what it means, and the opportunity arose to both meet a grandmaster, and help the club a little”, he explained.
Magnus Carlsen's surprise choice to sit down and play, to the delight of his club mates,
was soon picked up by the press. The full article can be seen (in Norwegian) at Aftenposten.no
Magnus is essentially a member of the club because he has a number of friends there, and the club never tried to get him to represent them in their team events. He is so far above the level, and busy, that it is almost unthinkable. Just having him on the roster, and showing up from time to time is more than enough to boost the prestige of the club. Another factor that needs to be emphasized is how much he stands to lose should he have an off-day. Not only would his record rating be jeopardized, but the news would make the front pages everywhere. None of this served as a deterrent to the world number one, who asked to play.
After the luxurious settings of elite tournaments or the five-star treatment in India for the epic match against Anand, this was a serious throwback to the lighter, less weighty times as they played in a casual club setting, with players and spectators milling around right next to the players as they played. On the floor below, a man was celebrating his 85th birthday to loud singing and cheers, easily heard during the games.
None of this bothered Carlsen, who was quite calm. “It's just nice. I was here and played fourteen years ago, and have not been back since. It's a bit the same way today, and it's nice. I know everyone here, so it's just fine.”
As to Georgiev, who never in his wildest dreams expected to face Magnus Carlsen, “It was very fun to play against the world champion. I was not expecting it this morning. I was a little too optimistic along the way, and after that he outlasted me.”
As it turned out, Magnus Carlsen’s win over Georgiev was decisive in Stavangar’s close 3.5-2.5 victory over Nordstrand.
