If Magnus plays c4, why do most beginers not?

lol, I just play a botvinnik structure against everything.

How it is meant to be

I used the Botvinnik for years.

Sigh...... It's complicated...

Magnus needs his opponents to start thinking hard from the very begining, and the people he plays already have the usual openings down.  You can play this opening if you are good at positional advantages, advantages you usually don't really know how to use until you are a 1350 rated player.

Part of what sets Magnus apart is his ability to be able to play the #2, or #3 choice in positions.  It seems like every GM is booked up to the hilt, and what the "best moves" are.  Magnus just allows that, and knows what to do when he steers the game into uncharted waters.  To me, he has a bit of Korchnoi in him.

And a big chunk of Karpov.

He is brilliant at defending "inferior" positions, and yes, he looks like the modern day Boa Constrictor.