As his battle on the board against World No 1 Magnus Carlsen heats up in Round 2 of Norway Chess, Hikaru Nakamura walks away from the playing hall to a private area behind the stage. But instead of settling down in the players’ lounge, Nakamura’s destination is the “confessional booth”, a novelty that the Norway Chess organisers have had since the 2015 edition.
The confessional booth is an area where players get to deliver a one-way monologue to the camera, which is being streamed live to the world. Players turn up voluntarily. No one asks them anything or prods them, since the game is still on so there can be no contact with the players.
“Since nobody else seems to be rarely using the confessional room so far I figured I might as well do it,” Nakamura, who has spoken many times about how he thinks of himself as a streamer who plays chess, says on Tuesday. “Honestly, this is basically an extension of streaming. Except when I talk to you, the fans, I can’t actually see what you’re writing. So I look a bit like a lunatic, because there is a streamer meme which goes ‘who’s he talking to?’ That’s probably what it seems like to some people.”
When you win, you celebrate! This is how it goes 🥳🥰 #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/tVEYNjEvgm
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 28, 2024
Nakamura had used the confessional booth extensively in the 2023 edition of the Norway Chess event, where he had gone on to win. After Round 1 on Monday, he had declared: “Last year, people seemed to enjoy me coming to the confessional booth and pretty much wasting my time talking about chess or whatever rather than playing the game… So, we’re back once again.”
The confessional booth is almost like the stump mic in cricket, because players know exactly what they’re doing and the way the comments will be received. Like when Nakamura told the world during round 1 that five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen had been wolfing down a pretty big meal right at the start of his game against current world champion Ding Liren in round 1.
While the first day of Norway Chess didn’t see too many players except Nakamura stepping into the confessional booth, players start to warm up to the concept in round 2. The running joke at the playing hall is that if players do not stop at the confessional booth they may not get invited back next year. This gets a laugh out of both Vaishali and world champion Ju Wenjun, who say they will consider visiting it in the upcoming rounds.
Standings boards after Round 2 ♟️ #NorwayChess https://t.co/owgvzMdOPM pic.twitter.com/PazmLm7JjB
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 28, 2024
Praggnanandhaa and Carlsen make quick pit stops into the booth, and deliver serious thoughts about what they think of their position on the board.
“I’m in the confessional booth for the first time! The games are quite interesting so far! In my game, I’ve given up a pawn on d5, and I think I should get enough compensation after!” Praggnanandha says.
Carlsen, meanwhile, admits that he was caught off guard by Nakamura’s queen shuffling to f6 on the ninth move.
“What’s happened in the last few moves is more than a little embarrassing… I was so caught out by his move 9.Qf6. maybe I shouldn’t have been, maybe I played the wrong move order in the opening, I don’t know. Before he took on d4, that move hadn’t even occurred to me. I guess I’ll just try to survive for now!” Carlsen shrugs.
Vaishali vaults to the top of standings
After 12 games of classical chess have been played over two rounds at the 2024 Norway Chess, there has been only one decisive result so far: when 22-year-old Vaishali defeated Humpy Koneru in a battle of the Indians on Tuesday. Thanks to her victory over the veteran Humpy, Vaishali also leapt to the India No 2 rank in the women’s section in the live ratings (with a rating of 2495.8).
The only decisive classical game so far: Vaishali R. vs Koneru Humpy. With this impressive win, Vaishali climbs to India #2 in the women’s section, boasting a LIVE rating of 2495.8!
📷 @photochess / @chesscom / #NorwayChess pic.twitter.com/8vVS7B8xy5
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 28, 2024
The other 11 games have been decided in Armageddon, where the player with the white pieces needs to win as they have 10 minutes on the clock while the player with black pieces starts with seven minutes on the clock but just needs a draw to get the bonus half point.
Vaishali’s brother Praggnanandha, meanwhile, endured a heartbreak against world champion Ding Liren in the Armageddon. In the open section, Carlsen sits atop the standings after defeating Nakamura and Ding via Armageddon in the first two rounds.
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