"My style is not so comfortable for Magnus"

Sagar Shah (SS): Vladislav Artemiev, congratulations on winning the silver medal! Your tournament was very solid, you didn't lose a single game, and there was one game in particular that turned out to be amazing - your win against Magnus! How did you find that game? At some point, you played the move 15. e6, which was very interesting. Can you tell us the idea behind it? I was not expecting it.

The best move in this position, according to engine, was b2-b3. But Artemiev played 15.e6.

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Vladislav Artemiev (VA): Yes, the game against Magnus was very complicated and exciting. Before the game, I wanted to play very solid because, objectively, Magnus is a very tough opponent. Even a draw with Magnus is a good result. I had the white pieces and I started with a good opening. It was the Slav Defence and I chose the line with 6.Qc2, a very solid Anti-Meran system.

But then I forgot my ideas from the opening. I think I analysed this line a few years ago, but I couldn't remember everything. I spent a lot of time and by move 18, I only had 3 or 4 minutes left. When I played 15.e6, I had calculated the variation fxe6 Bxh6 gxh6 and honestly, at first, I just wanted a draw, because it was already a good result. But Magnus continued to fight, and he found a very strong resource, which was a bit of a shock for me.

Then I started calculating again and I found this brilliant move 17.Bd5, which is very unpleasant for Black. After 17.Bd5 Raf8, I could just take on e7, but I continued in aggressive style with 18.Bxh6, and the game became very sharp. I think I gave Magnus some practical chances, but in the end, the position was very difficult for Black. He still had one last chance with ...Bc6 and yes, I saw it during the game, even with very little time. Fortunately, he chose another move and after that, my win was already close. It was a big victory for me.

Here, Magnus played 26...Bxg2+. Instead, 26...Bc6 would have saved the position.

SS: This reminded me of your win in 2022, where you beat Magnus in rapid as well, where he famously leaned back in his chair after blundering.

VA: Yes, that was an incredible and very memorable moment for me. That game was very close to equal, and honestly, I was already thinking it would probably be a draw. But Magnus wanted to continue fighting; he played ...Ne4, and it completely collapsed for him. So yes, I have some good memories against Magnus.

One of the biggest blunders of Magnus Carlsen's career | Artemiev vs Carlsen | World Rapid 2022 | Video: ChessBase India

SS: There seems to be something about you that makes Magnus blunder.

VA: It's very hard to say. I think the most important thing is that I try to play very solid chess. Maybe this is not so comfortable for Magnus, because he likes to slowly squeeze opponents and create small problems step by step. Against me, it is maybe more difficult because I have quite a solid playing style, and it's not so easy to break through.

SS: You also played an incredible game against Arjun Erigaisi. You were 10 minutes down on the clock, your position looked difficult, yet you defended amazingly and eventually beat him.

VA: Yes, it was a very important game because it was the first game of the second day. Arjun is a very dangerous player with many ideas and an amazing fighting spirit. It looks like he wants to win every single game. So I wanted to play as solidly as possible.

He surprised me in the opening. I expected a typical structure, but he played in an unusual way and it became a big fight. I think I had a comfortable position after the opening, but again, I spent a lot of time and created problems for myself. At one moment, Arjun had 10 or 11 minutes and I had 20 seconds! The position was crazy, but I tried to find practical chances and finally managed to create strong counterplay on the queenside. Objectively, I was worse, but somehow I defended well and won.

SS: What is it about you using so much time in the opening and getting into time pressure? It seems so impractical!

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Video sample: Grunfeld - Sidelines

VA: Yes, it's hard to recommend this to young players! When you have very little time, it is stressful and you must focus a lot. Maybe I need to prepare my openings better. Sometimes I take big breaks from chess because life is interesting and not only about chess. But players like Arjun, Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh train very seriously, so if you are weak in the opening, it is not easy to fight them.

SS: Do you think it's mainly an opening problem, or do you actually enjoy time pressure?

VA: I think the main factor is openings, but not only that. I like to look for many possibilities and sometimes I choose surprising moves. And yes, when I have only 20 seconds left, intuition becomes very important. But of course, you still need to calculate. Otherwise, it's impossible to play good chess.

SS: After beating Arjun and Magnus, I felt you could win the tournament. But then you started making very quick draws. Didn't you feel like going for gold?

VA: It's a very individual thing. I wanted to win at least a medal. Bronze was good, silver better. If I took big risks, maybe I could fight for gold, but maybe I would finish 10^th as well. So I preferred to secure a medal. I made some quick draws, but I also played some serious battles. I am very happy with silver, because to win this tournament, you must be better than Magnus and that is extremely difficult. He won five games in a row at the end!

Final ranking list of the FIDE World Rapid Championship 2025 | Source: Chess-Results

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Vladislav Artemiev scored wins against both Magnus and Arjun at the World Rapid Championship 2025 | Photo: Vivek Sohani

SS: Did prize money influence your decision?

VA: Prize money is important, of course, but not the most important thing for me. I simply wanted to take a medal. That was my main goal.

SS: Magnus said that what separates him from others is that he wants to win at all costs. Do you think that approach could help you as well?

VA: Magnus is in a different situation. He has been the World Champion for many years and has won many titles. For him, only first place matters. For many strong players, being in the top 10 is already okay. Maybe Indian youngsters are different. They are very ambitious. But Magnus is special. He is a real champion and deserves huge respect.

SS: Thank you for the interview and honesty. We wish you continued success, hopefully to top 5 and top 3 in the world.

VA: Thank you very much. It is a big honour for me to have support in the chess world. I wish everyone health, happiness and to love chess, because chess is amazing. It is a way to communicate, to find friends, meet new people and travel to new places.

Full video interview

Video: ChessBase India

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Free sample video: Scandinavian Defence