Teen Kazakh Grandmaster Opens Up About Match With Magnus Carlsen After Selfie Incident

Eighteen-year-old Kazakh chess player Alua Nurman has spoken about her match against former world champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway at the Grenke Chess tournament in Karlsruhe, Germany,  Orda.kz reports.

Before the game, Alua asked Magnus Carlsen for a selfie together, and he agreed. But a minute later, he went to the arbiters and told them that Alua had brought a phone with her, which is prohibited under the rules. The referees immediately approached her and temporarily confiscated the device.

In an interview with the YouTube channel ChessBase India Interviews, Alua said she did not think taking a selfie was anything wrong.

Last year, Bacrot also took a selfie, and I thought, why not. I am very grateful to Magnus for taking part in this tournament.Alua Nurman said. 

The game itself, of course, ended in a win for the Norwegian. However, Alua said she would remember the match against the chess star for the rest of her life.

When I saw the pairings, I was beside myself with joy, I was completely happy. Today I just tried to play chess and enjoy it. This is my first experience of freestyle chess in classical games. I tried not to put pressure on myself, and I think everything was going well. But then I started to run short on time and simply made a mistake. But overall, the game was very interesting.Alua Nurman said.

By the age of 18, Alua Nurman had already earned the Woman Grandmaster title, which FIDE awarded her in 2024. She is also a silver medallist at the 2024 Chess Olympiad as part of Kazakhstan’s national team.

Original author: Aisulu Zhunusova

Read also:

• Magnus Carlsen Complained to Referees After Selfie With Kazakh Chess Player
• Bibisara Assaubayeva Becomes Kazakhstan’s Second Female Grandmaster