Carlsen's coach Peter Heine Nielsen talks about the Carlsen vs Nepomniachtchi match

by Johannes Fischer
12/14/2021 – Peter Heine Nielsen has been Magnus Carlsen's head coach and second since 2013, and in an in-depth interview with IM Sagar Shah the Danish grandmaster and ChessBase author has now revealed some background on Carlsen's World Championship match against Ian Nepomniachtchi: Nielsen reviews the critical moments of all eleven games, discusses what makes a good coach and talks about the upcoming World Championship cycle and Alireza Firouzja's chances in it. | Photo: Hartmut Metz | Archiv
Let our authors show you how Carlsen tailored his openings to be able to outplay his opponents strategically in the middlegame or to obtain an enduring advantage into the endgame.

Peter Heine Nielsen breaks down the match Carlsen vs Nepomniachtchi

Peter Heine Nielsen is perhaps the most successful World Championship second ever. From 2002 to 2012 the Danish grandmaster worked as Vishy Anand's second and coach, and from 2013 until now Nielsen has supported Magnus Carlsen.

Over the course of his cooperation with Anand and Carlsen, Nielsen has won no fewer than eight world championship matches: four with Anand (2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012) and four with Carlsen (2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021).

After the World Championship match between Carlsen and Nepomniachtchi in Dubai, IM Sagar Shah took the opportunity to ask Nielsen about the match in an extensive interview.

In the interview Nielsen, who as head coach in Dubai coordinated the team around Carlsen (Laurent Fressinet, Jan Gustafsson, Jorden van Foreest and Daniil Dubov), which was scattered across Europe and connected digitally, talks about the highlights and the important moments of all eleven games and occasionally reveals how "Team Carlsen" experienced the games.

The interview

The Semi-Slav (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6) can arise via various move orders, has decided World Championships, and is one of Black's most fascinating replies to 1 d4. Magnus Carlsen's second, Grandmaster Peter Heine Nielsen explains in detail what this opening is all about.

Links

Johannes Fischer was born in 1963 in Hamburg and studied English and German literature in Frankfurt. He now lives as a writer and translator in Nürnberg. He is a FIDE-Master and regularly writes for KARL, a German chess magazine focusing on the links between culture and chess. On his own blog he regularly publishes notes on "Film, Literature and Chess".

Discuss

Rules for reader comments

 
 

Not registered yet? Register

arzi arzi 12/16/2021 03:36
@Gerald C: "Was he playing instead of his bosses ?"

He was playing as a second and head coach. For him it is his team with MC against Nepo`s team. :)
Gerald C Gerald C 12/15/2021 08:05
"Nielsen has won no fewer than eight world championship matches" ! Was he playing instead of his bosses ?
notebook03 notebook03 12/14/2021 11:17
Fascinating insights. Sagar's delivered a lot of great quality and entertaining material over the duration of the championship.
1
We use cookies and comparable technologies to provide certain functions, to improve the user experience and to offer interest-oriented content. Depending on their intended use, analysis cookies and marketing cookies may be used in addition to technically required cookies. Here you can make detailed settings or revoke your consent (if necessary partially) with effect for the future. Further information can be found in our data protection declaration.