New Delhi, Aug. 16 -- Magnus Carlsen said he swapped his trademark appetite for complex positions for a more pragmatic, Mourinho-inspired approach at the Esports World Cup 2026, and the strategy paid off as the Norwegian world No. 1 successfully defended his chess title.

Carlsen secured back-to-back Esports World Cup chess title on Saturday, defeating Belarusian grandmaster Denis Lazavik 2-0 in the best-of-three grand final. He won both sets 3-1 and finished the tournament without losing a single match.

The 35-year-old revealed that his conservative approach was a deliberate strategy, shaped partly by the demanding 10-minute, no-increment format and partly by concerns over his physical condition during the tournament.

"I started watchi...