Oct 28, 2019, 2:03 PM ETInterview

Garry Kasparov: Magnus Carlsen is a Lethal Combination of Fischer and Karpov | Lex Fridman Podcast

Direct comparisons of all-time greats are deemed "unfair" because the current generation possesses significantly more theoretical knowledge than previous eras due to modern computer analysis.
The gap between the world champion and the rest of the field is cited as the primary metric for evaluating dominance, where Fischer is noted for a short peak and Kramnik for a longer one.
Garry Kasparov's peak is described as occurring in the late 1980s, a period where he was "way ahead of the field" despite knowing less about the game than modern players.
Kasparov retired with a rating exceeding 2,800 in 1990, a feat that placed him in a unique category where only one other player, Anatoly Karpov, exceeded 2,700 at the time.

Carlsen is characterized as a unique synthesis of Bobby Fischer's dynamic, high-energy fighting style and Anatoly Karpov's ability to maximize the effect of minimal resources.
His consistency is described as "phenomenal," allowing him to squeeze advantages over 50 to 80 moves while maintaining the physical endurance required for prolonged matches.
Carlsen reached a peak rating of 2,882 and successfully dominated the subsequent generation, remaining a dominant force until age 41.
Physical conditioning is identified as a critical component of Carlsen's success, noting that chess players burn thousands of calories during games.

Hypothetical matchups between past legends and current champions (e.g., Kasparov vs. Carlsen) are dismissed as "irrelevant" due to the inability to separate a player's era-specific confidence from the accumulated knowledge of modern chess.
Kasparov argues that empowering a 1989-era Kasparov with 30 years of chess evolution would create a different entity, not the original player.
An analogy to soccer is used to illustrate generational bias: while Pelé and Maradona were the favorites for an older generation, modern fans instinctively prefer Messi due to recency and lack of exposure to earlier eras.
In the soccer analogy, Maradona is preferred over Pelé because the 1970 Brazilian team could have won without Pelé, whereas the 1986 Argentine team lacked unity without Maradona.

Kasparov acknowledges that a 1990 rating of 2,851 might hold more value than Carlsen's 2,882 due to significant rating inflation; in 1990, only one player was in the 2,700+ category, whereas today more than 50 players hold that rating.
Current elite players Fabiano Caruana and Ding Liren maintain ratings comparable to historical peaks, indicating a highly competitive field where the gap to the second tier is smaller than in the past.
Kasparov expresses extreme caution regarding definitive judgments on cross-era comparisons, labeling them as filled with "too many hypotheticals."