I'm sitting here trying to think of just what it is about Magnus Carlsen that doesn't sit well with me and I think it's because he's less of a person than a brand, somehow. He's not the first chess champion to do so; Garry Kasparov knew how to gin up publicity for himself, too. But there's something corporate and colorless about the Carlsen brand that was never true of Kasparov, who's always seemed a little larger than life.

Carlsen seems rather to fade away on close scrutiny. He's all glossy magazine spreads and dull but discreetly hagiographic press coverage. He carefully avoids having opinions on anything.