A major reason for not blogging much since March was the "secret"
cooperation with Kasparov. It felt too awkward to try to relate inside stories
from tournaments while suppressing the main news. After going public in September
about the cooperation, and winning Nanjing in style, Magnus soon got his own
blog making the continuation of this blog less meaningful.
At this
blog Magnus has thanked his trainer Garry Kasparov and his main sponsors
investment-bank Arctic Securities and lawyers Simonsen for their contributions
to his rise to the number 1 spot on the January 1st 2010 rating list with 2810
ahead of Topalov, Anand, Kramnik and Aronian.
I'd like to bring forth all the other persons and organisations that have made
significant contributions and deserve credit. The pitfall is of course that
someone may feel left out, to whom I offer my sincere apologies in advance.
Prior to Kasparov, Magnus has received support and training from of GM Simen
Agdestein through many years, and a special thanks goes to Simen's invention,
the chess class at the Top Athletes School that Simen started back in the late
90's and which Magnus attended through high school from 2006 to 2009.
GM Peter Heine Nielsen is a good friend that had occasional training sessions
with Magnus for several years and was also his second during many tournaments.
His first important trainer was IM Torbjørn Ringdal Hansen who's pedagogical
skills deserves special mentioning.
I'd also like to mention that Magnus got some initial coaching from Bjarte Leer
Salvesen in Baerum Youth Chess Club and from Sverre Johnsen, Oslo Chess Club
back in 1999.
Before and during tournaments Magnus has also received valuable analysis from
Dag Soedtholt and several other Norwegian chess players.
Chessbase, represented by founder Frederic Friedel, has for several years contributed
with software including the invaluable Chessbase database and analysis engines
Fritz, Junior and lately also Rybka. He has also been extremely helpful in providing
important contacts throughout the chess world.
Online chess was a major contributor to Magnus training efforts especially
from the age of 9 to 14. He has spent countless hours playing blitz on Internet
Chess Club (ICC) and Playchess.
We have received technical help in PC and software matters, and special thanks
go to Tarjei Svendsen for his many contributions.
In addition to main sponsors Arctic Securities and Simonsen laywers, Magnus
has for several years had Smartfish, a producer of Omega-3 fish oil products,
as a sponsor.
For a one year period in 2007/8 he was sponsored by FAST, a search engine
company now owned by Microsoft.
As part of their strategy to help young people utilize their talents, Microsoft
Norway sponsored Magnus from 2003 to 2005. His first sponsor, back in the first
half of 2002, was IT consultant company Computas.
You have all contributed significantly to make it possible for Magnus to travel
to tournaments, hire trainers and acquire training equipment. Thank you!
Magnus' progress stems partly from participation in the many events organised
by Hans Olav Lahlum at Gausdal. For many years Hans Olav put in countless hours,
immense dedication and often his own money to continue the Gausdal tradition
originally started and upheld for decades by Arnold Eikrem. After his first
tournament, the Norwegian Championship U-11 in 1999, Magnus benefitted from
the weekly blitz tournaments in Oslo Chess Club throughout the autumn of 1999
and onwards. Our local club Baerum Youth Chess Club, headed by Oivind Ekeberg,
was the first chess club contributing to Magnus' success.
Later Magnus joined Asker Chess Club, represented by primus motor Joeran Jansson
and others, and played several seasonal evening tournaments, blitz events, as
well as the European Club Cup for Asker.
Magnus has participated in a huge number of tournaments and throughout the
years he has on most occasions been accompanied to tournaments and looked after
by grandparents, his mother and sisters in addition to the undersigned.
Chess has been recognized as a sport by Norwegian media in 2009 and this is
consistent with the need to focus on physical training and nutrition in chess
as in other sports. Magnus has cooperated with the Olympiatoppen this autumn
and feels confident this is an important part of optimum preparations for chess
tournaments.
We would also like to thank the many chess enthusiasts contributing to chess
as spectators and commentators, his chess friends at NTG, tournament organisers
(as Corus, Linares and Tromsoe to mention a few), chess sites (as www.chessbase.com),
chess blogs (with significant contributions from for instance Hans Arild Runde
and Mig Greengard) and the influential people, patrons and politicians throughout
the world supporting our great game one way or the other.
Henrik Carlsen
Engerdal, January 1st 2010
Source: the original
Magnus Carlsen blog
