Magnus knows he is a better player than Nepo: Judit Polgar

The upcoming Magnus Carlsen-Ian Nepomniachtchi World championship clash in UAE has got everyone hooked. Grandmaster and former world no. 1 ranked women's player Judit Polgar, who will be part of the Chess24 commentary team, spoke to TOI on who her favourite is, how Magnus has helped raise the profile of the sport over the years, the rise of Alireza Firouzja and more. Excerpts:
How do you assess the Magnus-Nepo clash?
I think it's clear that Magnus is the favourite.I haven't played the World championship match before but watched it twice closely as a commentator in 2016 and 2018. I think there will be extra pressure on Magnus as I think he knows that he is a better player than Nepo. They both are of the same age and have a past. For Nepo to win this match --- Magnus will have to give quite a significant help.
Compared to Magnus' previous World championship challengers, where do you feel Nepo stands out?
Firstly, the biggest difference I feel is that Nepo is a player who believes he can win the match. I didn't feel Sergey Karjakin really believed in the possibility that he could become a world champion by beating Magnus. With Fabiano too I wasn't sure but with Nepo --- he has this body language which says 'I am going to win and it's completely fine that I am the next world champion.'
Having watched Magnus closely over the years – what according to you drives him or keeps him hungry despite being on top of his game for over 10 years now?
I think he has the inner demand from himself to improve all the time. Whenever you see him play or in the interviews --- he is always self-critical. Being self-critical is the best way to stay motivated and you can work harder and deeper and aim for your next challenge. Magnus, right from his early years, knew that there are so many details to discover in chess. If you see, in many of his games Magnus practically won it from nothing or from an equal position. One of his strengths is that his nerves are pretty good and he smells a win before everybody does.
The Champions Chess Tour has been a big hit and virtual games in these Covid times have taken the profile of the sport to a new level. Do you reckon the FIDE --- as a pilot project --- should try bringing in 'virtual games' as part of Candidates or even the World Championship match?
It's very difficult to say. I am a big supporter of online great matches but at the same time I think it's not ideal at all. I don't see the need for that. Personal attendance in a chess match makes you feel the aura of your opponent, you feel the tension and you see the eyes and you feel every vibe that's around within a few metres. The sport is designed in such a way that we are doing it in person.
Where would you place Magnus among the pantheon of champions the sport has seen till date?
For me it's difficult to judge this. Talking about the big champions like Kasparov, Karpov, Kramnik or Viswanathan Anand --- I think Magnus is getting there. He is not Fischer but I think he is very close to Kasparov or I mean he has been clearly No.1 for so many years. The more he is going to stay there, the more recognition he is going to be receiving. He is definitely one of the top world champions who has taken chess to a wider audience with his charisma, his statements, honest approach and has created his own company. He has brought in a very new approach to the chess world.
Do you see Firouzja having the potential to be a World championship challenger in the future?
Firouzja is definitely in the league there to challenge Magnus. I don't see any fear in him and he is kind of similar at this point of time as Magnus was when he was young. Firouzja has a fresh approach and he can be a potential strong challenger.