Magnus Carlsen wins Esports World Cup chess title with Mourinho-style pragmatism

Magnus Carlsen successfully defended his Esports World Cup chess title in Paris on Saturday, defeating Belarusian grandmaster Denis Lazavik 2-0 in the best-of-three grand final. Carlsen did not lose a single match in the tournament. He said he adopted a conservative, result-oriented approach inspired by football manager Jose Mourinho's documentary on Netflix. Hindustan Times reports Carlsen was in 'survival mode' early on due to illness and deliberately reduced risk in the 10-minute no-increment format.

Sportstar adds that Carlsen beat Andrey Esipenko, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Hans Niemann to reach the playoffs. Carlsen said his main thought before the tournament was to be more conservative, and the illness made that choice obvious. Hindustan Times notes Carlsen acknowledged his unbeaten run required 'a little bit of luck' as well as skill. Lazavik defended accurately but Carlsen forced critical mistakes under time pressure.

Carlsen said the first EWC title last year feels more special, but this victory is 'very big'. He also embraced chess as an esport, saying it is 'here to stay'. Both sources report his satisfaction with the win, which answered questions about his form after a difficult Norway Chess tournament.