Magnus Carlsen explained his playstyle at the Esports World Cup 2026. Carlsen says that he tried not to overcommit, and notes that he aimed to conserve energy where he could.

Magnus Carlsen

Magnus Carlsen

World's No. 1

“I started watching the Mourinho documentary on Netflix the other day. They were talking about the first season that they were just winning 1-0 every match. And I was thinking: ‘That sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?’

It’s certainly the case that in this tournament I stayed very, very true to not trying to do much. I obviously wanted to save energy when I could. There were some boring games because of that, but that’s how it is.

I don’t know if it’s a general change, but for this tournament it was a very conscious choice.”

The Esports World Cup 2026 took place from August 11 to 15, at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in France. Magnus Carlsen defeated Denis Lazavik in the Grand Final with a score of 4-1. Carlsen earned $250,000 for winning the event.

Credit: Esports World Cup