Rookie Trent Alexander-Arnold left in ‘check’ after defeat to World Chess Champion

By Andrew Soar

Manchester – Monday 8th October 2018 – Liverpool and England wonderkid, Trent Alexander-Arnold has crashed to defeat in his chess match against world champion Magnus Carlsen, today.

The 20-year-old dubbed the “Melwood Grandmaster” after he announced his love of chess, put up a valiant defence against the Norwegian who has reigned over the sport for the last eight years.

The match held in Manchester was organised by Kaspersky Lab and World Chess, to promote the forthcoming World Chess Championship. Although championship matches can last around six or seven hours, it took Carlsen just 17 moves and five minutes to put the Golden Boy nominee into checkmate.

READ: Robertson dismisses the idea of two-horse title race with City

World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen beats Liverpool and England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in a match organised by Kaspersky Lab at the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday October 8, 2018.

READ: Alisson and Firmino shortlisted for 2018 Ballon d’Or

Alexander-Arnold, who celebrated his 20th birthday yesterday, stepped up to the table looking confident following his team’s 0-0 draw against Premier League title rivals, Manchester City.

That confidence was partly because the global cybersecurity giants and World Chess Championship partner, Kaspersky Lab had been helping Trent with innovative technology to help the rookie in his battle against the “unbeatable” Carlsen. It had also called up two of the country’s most promising players and, future Grandmasters, Kyan Bui (12) and Shreyas Royal (nine), to coach the fellow youngster ahead of the match.

The company had partnered with 4tiitoo to use NUIA eye-tracking technology to allow Trent see Magnus’ future moves based on where the opponent was looking on the chessboard. The ground-breaking tech showed what squares the opponent was focusing on and, thus, enabling Trent and his backroom staff to better plan their next move.

Liverpool and England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold competes against World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in a match organised by Kaspersky Lab at the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday October 8, 2018.

Tore Meyer, co-founder and CEO of 4tiitoo said that “it definitely helped Trent to stay in the game” after Trent lasted longer than another of Carlsen’s famous opponents, Bill Gates, who lasted only nine moves.

The full-back, who headed to join the England squad after the match, had promised that “he might shock people” and he definitely succeeded.

Although Carlsen was always expected to win, the match served to only further the belief that he is a future Anfield captain and a prominent part of a new generation of ‘thinking-footballers’ swapping computer games for more brain-stimulating forms of recreation.

Speaking minutes after the match, Trent said that he was “proud of his performance” and that he “hopes this will inspire more kids to play chess”.

Liverpool’s No.66 said that the technology, a lot like in football helped him to ‘survive’ against Carlsen:

“Firstly, I want to congratulate Magnus on playing a great game, he is the deserved winner today. I am so grateful for Magnus taking time out of his schedule and playing me and Kaspersky Lab for making it all possible. If it wasn’t for their support and, of course, Shreyas and Kyan, it would have been a lot harder.”

“I am definitely not on his level at chess, I play it for fun and he is the champion of the sport for eight years, that’s quite a record. There is no doubt that the NUIA technology that 4tiitoo created helped me by seeing where Magnus was planning to go. That being said, if I took him on at one-on-one on a football pitch, he wouldn’t stand a chance, no matter what technology he had!

“This whole experience has been an eye-opener, not only into just how much goes into becoming great at the game but also seeing the similarities between it and the sport I love, football. Football and chess can seem like polar sporting opposites, but there are so many similarities with the modern game. Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the life of a footballer and I guess, that is true across most sports now. Although it may go down as a 1-0 loss, I will be practicing more and maybe there will be a re-match.”

World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen beats Liverpool and England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold in a match organised by Kaspersky Lab at the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday October 8, 2018.

The Reds player entered the room flanked by his coaches 12-year-old Kyan Bui and nine-year-old Shreyas Royal with an entrance that felt more like the start of a boxing duel than that of a chess match. The six-foot player had the air of a heavyweight as he looked straight into the eyes of the Norwegian at the customary pre-match handshake.

The two sat down and Alexander-Arnold made the first attacking move. With support from his team when the NUIA technology showed where Carlsen was looking, it felt like a boxer’s trainers giving tips about when to defend or attack and jab. The result was a tense opening with Alexander-Arnold often staring at Carlsen to psyche him out as if facing him on the football pitch.

With each player making ten moves each, the game was starting to turn in Carlsen’s favour when he took Alexander-Arnold’s queen. If this was a boxing match, the Reds player was on the canvas but up with an eight count.

The match then only lasted a further seven moves as Carlsen, with unnerving ease swept through the Scouse player’s pieces. The final nail in the coffin saw Carlsen attack once more, he moved his knight to c4 and offered his hand, smiled and uttered the words “checkmate”. The match was over.

Liverpool and England’s Trent Alexander-Arnold with Shreyas Royal, aged 9 (left) and Kyan Bui, aged12 (right), after competing against World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen in a match organised by Kaspersky Lab at the Radisson Blu hotel in Manchester. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday October 8, 2018.

After the match Carlsen said:

“It was a great game, Trent’s good. He has a bit to learn, but he definitely has talent.”

The match acted as a live demonstration of Kaspersky Lab’s HuMachine approach – combining its world-class expertise with protection technologies to secure businesses and customers from cyberthreats. The company said that the match served as example of “how advances in technology can help you understand your opponent and, develop better strategies to protect against an attack.”

The 27-year-old Carlsen is now set to defend his title at the World Chess Championship in London, next month against American Fabiano Caruana to determine the 2018 World Chess Champion. The 12-game match, organized by FIDE and World Chess, will be played in London between 9th and 28th November. Chess fans will also have chance to follow the game online at http://bit.ly/2O9s71L, the official broadcasting platform.

To watch the match again search #TAAvMagnus on Twitter, visit Kaspersky Lab’s YouTube or watch it now on Trent’s Instagram.

The post Rookie Trent Alexander-Arnold left in ‘check’ after defeat to World Chess Champion appeared first on AnfieldHQ.

Source: anfieldhq.com