STAVANGER: It's 4.57 PM on a slightly cold summer afternoon in downtown Stavanger. The cold can be accentuated because the North Sea is just round the corner. The sun is out but the wind chill can be felt.
The gates for the playing hall at the venue for Norway Chess opened over 30 minutes ago but a fair few of the fans have stayed outside the building. Some journalists, a few photographers — including a couple of influencers who are big on social media — are also among the people braving the cold.
Inside the playing hall, 11 of the 12 players — all six women's players and five of the six in open — have already taken their seats. The guests of honour tasked with making the ceremonial first moves are also inside.
Outside the building, a vehicle appears to stop next to the building. It's enough to send the journalists and photographers scurrying towards the vehicle but false alarm.
Seconds later, a slightly harried looking man makes his way down the other side of the road on foot. Magnus Carlsen. The principal deity is about to enter the sanctum sanctorum.
Kids clutching their pens and scrapbooks politely enquire if the five-time world champion would stop for a few autographs. He apologetically points to his watch before speed-walking his way past the fans, media and broadcasters.
Even in a country filled with superstars across athletics, tennis, football and a wide variety of Winter Games, Carlsen holds a separate pride of place. Sure, there's a museum for Erling Haaland in Norway but Carlsen makes kids as young as five gather around a TV set. On Day Two of Norway Chess, there were seven kids sitting around one following Carlsen's encounter against Hikaru Nakamura. As soon as the former resigned, the kids refused to buy that result. Chess is just about broadening its horizons but it's still not a TV sport. In Norway, it's an exception that satisfies the rule.
It also kind of explains why Norwegians make an exception when they see the World No 1 at the breakfast table. On Tuesday morning, seven hours before Carlsen's encounter against Nakamura, the 34-year-old had settled in a corner with his bowl of cereal and coffee. On his iPad a basketball game was on. Soon enough, a few kids were there, hoping for an autograph or two while their parents smiled awkwardly, a touch embarrassed for entering into someone else's private space. Carlsen was happy to oblige all of them.
That, in a nutshell, kind of explains the heft he brings not just to the game but also to the tournament.
"The interest for chess in Norway was extremely low when we had the first Norway Chess tournament (in 2013)," says Kjell Madland, the event's founder and tournament director. "Magnus brought something new into this sport, he was young, he was cool, he was different from other players. Of course, we couldn't do the Norway Chess tournament (13 years back) without Magnus, because the interest for chess in Norway was almost nothing.
"Norway Chess couldn't happen without him, because the interest in Norway wouldn't be there. And we needed sponsors and everything, because we wanted to do this in a totally different way from others. We wanted to have sponsors and chess on TV. You needed some interest. We have also been a part of building this interest (in Norway). But it was because of Magnus, that we could."
The five-time Classical champion, in a sense, has created a whole industry by himself because of his chess exploits. It's even part of the games taught at the school level in the country, with parents forced to download the 'Play Magnus' app to try and keep pace with their kids.
Carlsen may or may not continue to play the game at the Classical level but Henrik, dad, suggested that he 'wouldn't retire'. "I cannot make promises on his behalf but I don't think he will (retire)," he told a few Indian journalists.
It will come as music to the plethora of fans who consider coming to the event as a sort of annual pilgrimage to watch Carlsen.
Gukesh fights back for first win
World champion D Gukesh faced the heat as he suffered losses in each of the first two days at Norway Chess. On Wednesday, he showed composure and nerve to best Nakamura. The US Super GM had offered a draw but the Indian rejected the offer before grinding out the win to get on the scoreboard.
Friday is a rest day