Carlsen catches coach of World Champion

Danish super brain switches from Anand to Carlsen

"We are very pleased to have Peter on the team," says Carlsen's manager Espen Agdestein. Carlsen previously used chess legend Garry Kasparov as a coach, but terminated his cooperation with the Russian after about a year. Both the Dane and Carlsen want their's to be a long-term cooperation. Meanwhile Agdestein clear that they will not change too much in Carlsen's preparation for tournaments: "Magnus plays best when he has lots of energy and desire to gamble. Therefore, we do not want to change his routines too much. At the same time Magnus will improve his openings for the Candidates, and here Peter will help him."

Peter Heine Nielsen, Espen Agdestein [Ole Kristian Power, VG]

Agdestein says that the two will spend a few weeks in the Canary Islands to prepare Carlsen for perhaps the most important tournament so far in his career. He, however, stays silent on other seconds. VG asssumes there are a couple more. All eight players in the Candidates Tournament have helpers, and Carlsen is among the last to get his team in the box. Results in recent months however indicate that he is doing excellently without such help.

"We are please to have Peter Heine on the team, he knows the Scandinavian mentality," said Agdestein, who is cautious about recruiting Russian players. "We want people who are 100% motivated, and it is tough to compete with the Russians for their best resources." Three of the eight players at the Candidates are Russian and the other four were born in the former Soviet Union. This means that Carlsen is the only non-Russian speaker in the tournament.

If Magnus Carlsen would win the Candidate tournament and face Vishy Anand for the title match, there is, however, a problem: "We cannot use Peter after he has worked so long with Anand," said Agdestein. "That would not it be good, morally, even if there are no problems legally. Peter is therefore not going to work with us in preparation, if Magnus qualifies as World Championship challenger."

• Read the original article (in Norwegian) here

Editorial note: There is nothing untoward or sinister about the switch. Peter Heine worked with the young Magnus very early in his career. In 2005 he seconded Magnus at the Candidates Tournament in Khanty Mansiysk, and in 2007 he worked with him for the tournaments in Wijk aan Zee and Linares. We recall that at the time he was quite terrified of the noogies he would get from the young Norwegian. Today PH, as he is fondly known amonst friends, said to us: "Its been ten fantastic years with Team Vishy, culminating in four consecutive World Championship titles."

Peter Heine Nielsen playing his pupil Magnus Carlsen in the Smartfish Masters
Drammen in Norway in 2004 (PH won), and in the press conference with...

Luke McShane (England), Nielsen (Denmark) and Magnus (Norway)