Real Madrid defender challenges... chess while injured

For Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal, chess was a stress reliever during his injury. He played an average of 14 games a day as a way to forget his longing for the pitch.

Center-back Carvajal is addicted to playing chess during his time away from the pitch - Photo: Real Madrid

While recovering from a knee injury last year, Carvajal (Real Madrid) was invited by a friend to play chess.

Although he had only played a few times before, it was these games that made him "addicted." That same evening, Carvajal created an account on a chess app and continued to compete.

He competes against friends, physical therapists, and even random opponents around the world .

Thousands of chess players around the world probably couldn’t have imagined that their opponent would be one of only five players in history to have won six Champions League titles. Among them was a Norwegian police technology adviser, who Carvajal beat twice last Sunday night.

Carvajal doesn't just play chess at home. He uses every spare moment during long training sessions with Real Madrid and the Spanish national team. He even plays chess in the stadium.

Recently at Konya Stadium before the match with Türkiye, people still saw Carvajal and teammate David Raya engrossed in playing chess on their phones, even though the match was just over an hour away from starting.

This perseverance has helped the 33-year-old midfielder make great progress. When he first started, Carvajal's ELO rating was just 550, but now he is above 950 - a significant step forward for a new player.

Not focusing on theory, Carvajal always analyzes each game using the tool on the application, showing his seriousness and desire to learn.

Defender Carvajal (right) is still considered an important factor in Real Madrid's squad - Photo: REUTERS

Despite his huge improvement after playing 4,500 games (an average of 14 a day), Carvajal is still a bit behind the other chess masters in the Spanish team such as Unai Simon, Dani Olmo and Martin Zubimendi. However, he is now able to join the group and become a formidable opponent.

Carvajal challenged goalkeeper Unai Simon in early September but was unable to win. However, he has shown impressive form by beating David Raya in the last four games, showing continued improvement.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hau-ve-real-madrid-thach-dau-co-vua-trong-luc-chan-thuong-20250919234238966.htm