Why do some call Carlsen the "Mozart of Chess"?

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N-k5

Now don't get me wrong - Carlsen's achievements are amazing, he fights harder than practically everyone, and he's been one of the very top-rated chess players in the world since his teens.  

 

But the title "Mozart of Chess" seems to imply something other than precociousness and raw ability.  He died prematurely and in unfortunate conditions, and didn't live an easy life by any means.  Giving Carlsen such a nickname seems to indicate cruel wishes upon his future.

RichDavisson

Mozart had "raw ability" at a young age, as does GM Carlsen.  That's all the comparison means.  You are reading too much into it.

waffllemaster

You forgot to mention that Mozart was German, Carlsen doesn't even live in Germany, so clearly the comparison is way off.

waffllemaster

Oh, I get it now.  They mean to say that Norway is the Germany of chess.  Your little thing with early death and hard life was way off.

johnmusacha

Mozart was Austrian, you dink.  He hung around the Court of Emperor Franz Joseph of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

waffllemaster

Meh, I remember reading he was German.  Maybe it was geographically Austria, but Austria would have been part of Germany at that time?  Is that way off?  Embarassed

Jebcc
waffllemaster wrote:

You forgot to mention that Mozart was German, Carlsen doesn't even live in Germany, so clearly the comparison is way off.

what a maroon

johnmusacha

Its way off.. I was off a bit also though!  I said "Franz Joseph" but the actual ruler was "Joseph II," the Hapsburg monarch of the Holy Roman Empire whos capital was in Vienna (which is in Austria).  Mozart was born in Salzburg, which today is in Austria and back then was in Hapsburg country, also the Holy Roman (and later Austro-Hungarian) Empire.  The closest "german" kingdom to there in those days was Bavaria.

johnmusacha

Another Austrian that casual observers mistake for German was of course Adolf Hitler!

waffllemaster
Jebcc wrote:
waffllemaster wrote:

You forgot to mention that Mozart was German, Carlsen doesn't even live in Germany, so clearly the comparison is way off.

what a maroon

Don't have to be rude, at least johnmusacha pointed out my error.

johnmusacha

Nah, Jebcc's my dogg...always got my back ya know.  [Throws up gang signs].

Jebcc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv9VKKXwVxU

inthegreenroom

Does Carlsen write Piano Concertos too?

Jebcc

maybe, i think he teaches people how to dougie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv9VKKXwVxU

N-k5

All I know is that I wish his openings were a little better.

Jebcc

you can see him here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzx_78KExwQ

probinS
N-k5 wrote:

All I know is that I wish his openings were a little better.

i will send him an e-mail to seek you, he will be happy to get trained by you in openings

N-k5
probinS wrote:
N-k5 wrote:

All I know is that I wish his openings were a little better.

i will send him an e-mail to seek you, he will be happy to get trained by you in openings

Thanks, I'll start getting some material ready for him.  Kasparov ain't got nothing on my secret opening databases. 

waffllemaster
paulgottlieb wrote:

Because Mozart was a prodigy, and so was Carlsen (and Capablanca and Reshevsky). Whenever a child shows freat skill at a difficult intellectual task, the media dubs the child "The Mozart of X" where X is the task. It's usually a stupid comparison

No, you're way off.  It's because Mozart was deaf and Carlsen is also deaf.  Usually whenever someone is deaf, they call them the Mozart of that thing.

In fact Beethovan was known as the Mozart of Germany.

johnmusacha

Rush Limbaugh is deaf too.  I've heard him called the Mozart of Kansas City.