Magnus Carlsen and Nodirbek Abdusattorov have gathered at Carlsen's holiday home in Spain for a training camp that also includes GM David Howell and Carlsen's coach Peter Heine Nielsen. The two players are preparing for the Total Chess World Championship Tour Pilot, set to take place in Budapest from November 10 to 20. This tournament will test a format that combines fast classical, rapid, and blitz chess across 24 competing players.

The partnership between Carlsen and Abdusattorov represents an unusual collaboration among top rivals. Players of this caliber rarely work together and share preparation ideas, preferring to keep their strategic insights private. Yet these two have chosen to train as teammates ahead of a competition where they may face each other. Their combined skill in blitz chess is particularly noteworthy, as they represent the world's two highest-rated blitz players.

Abdusattorov has emerged as an exceptional sparring partner for Carlsen. The Uzbek player closed 2025 by winning the London Chess Classic with the year's highest performance rating. He carried that success into 2026 with victories at Tata Steel Chess and the Prague Masters, demonstrating sustained excellence across multiple prestigious events.

Carlsen has publicly admired Abdusattorov's abilities for years, beginning with praise for his 2021 World Rapid Championship victory as a teenager. In later interviews, Carlsen highlighted Abdusattorov's concentration, discipline, and ruthless competitiveness. He has noted the player's calculating ability and mental strength, along with his talent for reading momentum in critical positions.

The Budapest tournament will feature a distinctive structure beginning with a blitz Swiss system. The fast classical group stage follows, using 45 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move. Knockout matches will then combine all three time controls, with longer games weighted more heavily in determining winners. Carlsen has expressed interest in testing this experimental format when his participation was announced.

Training with potential opponents has become part of Carlsen's preparation style. He previously hosted rising players at training camps, while he himself trained as a young player at the home of another world champion. The results of the Spanish preparation will be revealed when competition begins in Budapest.