In the same Take Take Take podcast interview where he discussed his edge over top players, five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen dismissed the idea that elite chess players calculate many moves ahead, saying he typically visualizes just two or three before reassessing.
World number one Magnus Carlsen addressed a persistent myth about chess strategy during his recent Take Take Take podcast interview. "One common misconception is that chess players think very, very far ahead, which we don’t," he said. "You can sometimes think very far ahead if there are very few options, but I mean, I’ve gotten that question so many times, like, how many moves do you see ahead? Most of the time I see like two or three moves. But the truth is, you get to a certain point and then you have to reevaluate because conditions might have changed in some way."
The comments follow his record 21st world title win in the 2026 FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship final, held last month in Weissenhaus, Germany. Carlsen defeated Fabiano Caruana 2.5-1.5, clinching victory with a draw in the fourth game after a dramatic comeback win from a lost position in the third.
Having stepped down from defending his classical world title in 2023 (now held by D Gukesh), Carlsen will defend his Norway Chess title in 2026. The field includes D Gukesh, R Praggnanandhaa, Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja, and Wesley So.
