Chess instead of football. Magnus Carlsen ready to play against Salah and other Premier League stars

The second season of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League, a rapid chess tournament with a prize pool of $1 million, is currently taking place in the UK. Naturally, Magnus Carlsen is among the participants. While in the homeland of football, Carlsen, a passionate football fan himself, expressed his openness to playing chess against Premier League footballers.

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Details: Several English footballers have shared their love for chess. Harry Kane, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Anthony Gordon have all spoken about their interest in the game. Chelsea's head coach Enzo Maresca even wrote a 7,000-word dissertation on how chess can help train the mind of a football coach.

Last year, Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah admitted to being "addicted to chess," revealing that he has a rating of around 1400, significantly above the average. He also mentioned Carlsen, saying:

"I'm not Magnus, but I'm good. No one stands a chance against Magnus, but I hope we play one day."

When asked if he would be up for a match with Salah, Carlsen responded positively and expressed his desire to meet and play with other athletes he admires.

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Quote: "I'm a big football fan and definitely a fan of Salah. I haven't met him yet, but I would love to—just like I'd love to meet other athletes I admire who play chess," Carlsen said in an interview with The Observer.

Reminder: In 2018, Carlsen played against Salah's Liverpool teammate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, defeating the footballer in just 17 moves, taking only five minutes.

When asked if any Premier League player could challenge him, Carlsen mentioned:

“Martin Ødegaard plays a bit. He played quite a lot for a while, then less. He's a decent player, but he keeps it a bit hidden.”