Carlsen resumes over-the-board chess, while Play Magnus debuts on Oslo stock market

This is a big week for Magnus Carlsen, as the world champion finally resumed his over-the-board career and his record 121-game unbeaten run. 

Offboard, the Play Magnus tech company, incorporating a playing app, the Chessable learning platform and the Chess24 website, makes its Oslo Stock Exchange debut on Thursday, and its initial $42m offer has already been fully subscribed, notably by respected US institutions. Inter alia, the funds will back a 2021 expanded version of the successful online Carlsen Tour, which attracted record audiences running into millions.

Monday was round 1 of the traditional Altibox Norway tournament at Stavanger, an event whose latest version has been shaped by the virus. There are six players instead of the usual 10, while the four non-Norwegians, all quarantined for 10 days, come from EU/Schengen area countries. They include the world No 2 Fabiano Caruana, who has dual US/Italian citizenship.

Players and officials will be tested daily at the venue, in co-operation with a medical centre. A doctor and an infection control specialist will be on-site. Players will not wear masks, but the table width has been increased to one metre.

Norwegian TV will cover the play from a closed broadcast area. Live coverage on norwaychess.no/en starts at 4pm BST daily, and is sure to attract the army of fans who now follow Carlsen.

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Ian Nepomniachtchi vs Vlad Kramnik, Legends of Chess 2020. What was the former world champion’s winning move as Black?

For solution, click here