Norwegian chess prodigy Magnus Carlsen, renowned for his celebrity status and unmatched dominance in the game, has announced the launch of his new chess application, Take Take Take. The app aims to revolutionize the spectator experience by providing live game coverage and accessible explanations, filling a gap that Carlsen believes exists in existing streaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch.
Carlsen, who was recently named the International Chess Federation’s greatest ever player, expressed a shift in his career focus, stating that while he still loves playing chess, his ambition for professional titles has diminished. Instead, he now seeks to leverage his fame to transform the game into a spectator sport.
Take Take Take will offer a unique way for users to interact with chess, allowing them to follow individual players and pieces, with filters that explain different elements of each game. Carlsen, drawing from his extensive experience, plans to provide recaps and analysis on the app, starting with the upcoming World Chess Championship tournament between Ding Liren of China and Gukesh Dommaraju of India. Carlsen himself will not be competing in the tournament, as he voluntarily relinquished his title in 2023.
This is not Carlsen’s first foray into the world of chess apps. In 2014, he launched Play Magnus, which allowed users to play against a chess engine modeled after his own gameplay. The success of the app led to the expansion of Carlsen’s company, Fantasy Chess, which was eventually acquired by Chess.com for approximately $80 million in 2022.
Carlsen and Mats Andre Kristiansen, the CEO of Fantasy Chess, are confident that Take Take Take will attract casual viewers who may find traditional chess coverage too complex or inaccessible. The app is currently available for free, with plans to monetize it in the future through advertisements or deeper analysis.
While Take Take Take enters a competitive market, with established platforms like Chess.com, YouTube, Twitch, and FIDE’s website, Carlsen’s aim is to provide a more engaging and user-friendly experience for chess enthusiasts and newcomers alike.
Carlsen also acknowledged the impact of artificial intelligence on the game, stating that preparation has become deeper and games are of higher quality due to the assistance of chess engines. However, he admitted that his own mental processing speed has slowed down over the years, particularly compared to the younger generation of players. Nevertheless, Carlsen remains determined to maintain his position as the world’s best chess player for years to come.
The popularity of chess has been on the rise, partly due to Carlsen’s own achievements. Since becoming the world’s top-ranked player in 2011, he has won five World Championships and achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882 in 2014. Additionally, chess influencers like Hikaru Nakamura have utilized social media to broaden the game’s audience. The Netflix series “The Queen’s Gambit” further boosted chess’s appeal when it became a major hit in 2020.
Carlsen’s refusal to play against American grand master Hans Niemann, who admitted to cheating in online games using technology in the past, created a rare controversy in the typically serene world of chess. While there is no evidence of Niemann cheating in live games, the feud between the two players further propelled chess into the public consciousness.