Watch: Magnus Carlsen Praises Maltese Chess Player – ‘He Fought Really, Really Well’
In an interview with Lovin Malta’s Tim Diacono, chess legend Magnus Carlsen praised Maltese chess player Colin Pace for providing an extremely competitive challenge during a recent game on the island.
Carlsen, widely renowned as one of the best chess players of all time, visited Malta last week as a Betby ambassador to participate in the Next.io iGaming summit.
After taking part in a fireside chat, he played a blindfolded game against the winner of a chess tournament among summit participants. His challenger was Colin Pace, who has won multiple Maltese chess championships, most recently in 2023.
And while Pace wasn’t able to stun the GOAT, he certainly gave him a good run for his money.
“He was a very decent player,” Carlsen said. “I sacrificed a pawn early on and didn’t really get enough compensation for it. I think my experience told a bit at the end, but he fought really, really well.”
Carlsen admitted that he felt Pace had him on the ropes at times but managed to secure an advantage in the endgame, with time running out for the Maltese player.
“I always felt that I was just holding on and trying to escape, and then all of a sudden, with a little time on the clock, I managed to turn the game around,” he said.
“I definitely felt the competitive juices flowing a little bit towards the end. I really didn’t want to lose.”
While Carlsen is used to winning chess games blindfolded, he said that the action-packed nature of the Malta game made it easier for him.
“This particular game was easier to remember because it was fairly action-packed,” he said. “There weren’t any moments of protracted manoeuvring, where you can forget certain details. When there’s a lot of action it’s easier to remember.”
You can watch our full interview with Magnus Carlsen below.
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