MAGNUS~1.5

Oh, bloody hell. Excuse me, excuse me. Sorry guys, watch it, watch it. You get it? Yeah, yeah. Queens off the board and victory looking that much more remote. And Magnus needs only a draw to win the match. He doesn't even need to win this game. He's completely winning. Look at this, the seaport now forcing its way through. We're going to see the final move of the tournament. Magnus Carlsen takes the victory. He wins game, set and match against Team Falcons. Alireza Firuja, Team Liquid will take home the thousand points for chess at the Esports World Cup. The GOAT reigns supreme, world number one, and now your Esports World Cup champion. Magnus Carlsen. Incredible stuff. What a performance by Magnus in the semifinals, taking down Hikaru Nakamura in an epic battle. Comes in today, completely steals the show. You know, they say chess is a simple game. Two players play, Magnus Carlsen wins. This was absolute domination and Team Liquid rises to the top and the king stays on the top. It's looking fantastically happy as well in those graphics. There we see him with a smile as the final key is given to him. It's about to fall prey to the world number one. There we go, the key master hands the winning key to put into the trophy, which now belongs to world number one and now Esports World Cup champion. An absolutely incredible achievement for Magnus Carlsen. Ladies and gentlemen, the best player the world has ever seen, Team Liquid's Magnus Carlsen! Magnus, you have once again shown why you are still the best chess player in the world. What emotions are going through your head right now, man? You're looking pretty... No, I'm very, very happy, a little bit relieved as well. There was a point in the second set where I just felt like I let him back in the match for no reason. But overall, I'm happy with the way that I played and especially the way that I pressured him on the clock. A couple of times I rushed a little bit, but that comes with everything. But overall, you know, this has been a great event and I'm just very happy. Well-deserved victory. You said it was a great event. I want to ask you a little bit more. This is the first chess tournament of its kind. You know, stage, crowd, walk me through. What do you think about something like this and the future of chess going forward, especially as an esport? I think it's been incredible. Not only playing, but also watching the others. It's been an amazing show. Unlike anything that I've seen so far. Yeah, it's just been a joy and I really hope that this is a big part of the future for chess. And one more thing, maybe we can get on an even bigger stage next time because it seems like there was enough people who wanted to get in. But it's been awesome. I'm really thankful to EWC for believing in chess, for Team Liquid for believing in me as well. And, you know, to make the Falcons at least fight a little bit for the team championship. Now, obviously, being crowned the champion, not only do you get to crush another key, but you get to choose three keys to be placed in your trophy. Which three keys are you choosing? You can have any pick, any key you want. Well, it's going to be the two Falcons for sure. And then I am open to suggestions for the third. I haven't decided yet. Well, all right. Well, one more time for your 2025 Esports World Cup chess champion. Magnus Carlsen! Ladies and gentlemen, if you want to see more of this, if you want the future of chess to continue like this, make some noise! Magnus Carlsen getting that VIP ride over to the tournament totem because his job is almost done, but not quite yet here at the EWC. Still going to have to immortalize his key crest in that tournament totem. Making his way through the boulevard. Bodyguards in tow as well. Got to love it. The biggest score needs the biggest entourage. Damn right. And the thing, too, is this is something, again, chess players, we've been around a while. There's collective experience right here on the sofa. We have never seen this. Our eyes have just simply never seen, even in World Championships, I've been a part of this kind of incredible treatment. You see the champions. Of course, they have tons of fans surrounding them in various places. But the way this is unfolding at this event, the way they've just really skyrocketed the level of entertainment, the level of importance, the grandeur of it all, it's just incredible. And as we get our first peek in at the tournament totem, you can already see his name there. Magnus Carlsen, Team Liquid, and chess. And here we have the crest of his key, presented by Mike McCabe, COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. A very deserved inaugural Esports World Cup champion in Magnus Carlsen. I hope he's relishing in this moment because we sure as heck are. Of chess. Presenting the key to the champion, Mike McCabe, COO of the Esports World Cup Foundation. And now, Magnus Carlsen makes his way across the graveyard of everyone who has dared to challenge him. And now, he rises to cement himself in the history books of EWC. A first for chess here. Place your key into the totem. Immortalize yourself. Cement yourself in the history books of the Esports World Cup. Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise. The king of kings. The face of a... The consistency across a decade in a single day. Magnus, was it extra sweet beating two Falcon players in the semifinals and the finals to win the Esports World Cup? Yeah, I feel like the semifinals really is where it kind of culminated. That was a super, super difficult match and it really hinged on a couple of moves in the Armageddon. Apart from the first game of the second set today, I felt like I was a lot more in control. I probably lost the first game because I rushed a little bit too much. But overall, I would rather occasionally rush than hesitate too much. So I'm not too unhappy about that. But yeah, overall, I was happy that I was faster and better today. And we saw you lift the trophy. And also there was this very special ceremony where you put your name in all the winner's brackets. How was that? No, it's great. This is completely new territory for chess to be part of the Esports World Cup. And I really felt the way the tournament happened, the way it was presented and everything. It really was an Esports. So I'm super grateful for that. Which is more important to you, Magnus? $250,000 or 1,000 points for Team Liquid now? Getting Team Liquid back in contention for the team championship means a lot. That's what I was hired to do. And I'm very happy with the team, everything that we're working on there. And to be able to deliver this way feels great. And Magnus, another day, another title for you. First ever Esports World Cup champion. If you could just sum up in a few words, how does it feel to have this title? Yeah, it feels fantastic. This is an event that I was really, really looking forward to. Essentially all the way from when we started talking about it back probably a little more than a year ago. So it's almost been a dream come true. And hopefully a lot more is to come. Thank you. Thank you so much. I think it's been great. And I think what we've seen here is with everything that's been going on with the production, with the format, with the fans and the reactions and everything, it is just something that's different. This is chess as an esport. And it's different. And I think in so many ways it is so exciting as well. So I feel like it's just gone as well as I could have hoped. And I think we're only at the beginning as well. I think this is a fantastic format for chess. And hopefully it will be even greater next year. Magnus, can you tell us who would you dedicate this win to? I would dedicate this win to the DWC, to Team Liquid and all their fans all around the world. To the spectators both online, locals, people who travel from all around the world. But most importantly to my wife and kid to me. I am happy to be here but I am very, very excited. After travelling for a long time now to come home and just rest for a while. Can you describe the end in one word? You're making this way too hard. Magnus, it has been almost a trend now that you win all individual tournaments. I think you won Chess World Cup for the first time in 2023. Next year we did not see you. I hope it will not be the same for Esports World Cup. As long as I can know how the pieces move I will try and do my very best in the DWC. I heard that the Heroes Club has special perks for three-time winners. That will be my next objective. Magnus, I have a question. You almost achieved everything. What's next for you? What's your next plan? My next plan is to achieve together with my wife something that is greater than all of this. And that is to be enhanced. Thank you.