"There are no excuses. You always have to be the best." A CNN interview with Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen: 'My emotions are usually outside my body and that's not what you usually connect to a chess player.'

By Aimee Lewis, CNN

Greatness cannot be achieved without sacrifice. While it is the fire that burns inside that fuels the brilliance, the pursuit for perfection can also torment, turning relationships to ashes and niggling at the soul. The gifted can be loved and disliked. They can achieve immortality but still be flawed. They are, after all, human. But, ultimately, their extraordinary talent overshadows everything.

As Michael Jordan says in 'The Last Dance,' the wildly popular 10-part docuseries covering the 1997-98 Chicago Bulls season: "Winning has a price and leadership has a price." ...

Like millions around the world, Carlsen has been captivated by 'The Last Dance,' which gives a courtside seat into what it took for Jordan to become the ultimate champion. Winner of six NBA championships and five MVPs, the American superstar who became a cultural icon had time for one thing: winning.

In the retelling of Jordan's tumultuous final season with the Bulls ... the audience is saddled with conflicting emotions. While his talent is awe-inspiring, his force of personality enthralling, some of the methods used to achieve excellence on the hardwood -- berating teammates, even punching one in the face -- can rankle, raising an internal monologue of questions during what is a sensationally good sports film.

But few watching what is reportedly the most in-demand documentary in the world can relate to Jordan, except for perhaps Carlsen, himself a master of his chosen craft, a once-in-a-generation talent who is relentlessly great at his sport.

See full interview at CNN...

Master Class Vol.8: Magnus Carlsen

Scarcely any world champion has managed to captivate chess lovers to the extent Carlsen has. The enormously talented Norwegian hasn't been systematically trained within the structures of a major chess-playing nation such as Russia, the Ukraine or China.