In his jeans and tee-shirt, he looks pretty laidback for a professional doctor. “I love to dress this way here,” he says.
Frede Kvisvik, the personal physician to the World No.1 chess player Magnus Carlsen, prefers casual attire for the World chess championship over what is normally expected from those of his trade.
Kvisvik is particular that he doesn’t want to look formal in any way. “During my stay here, being informal works better, I think. I don’t want to show that I am a medical practitioner. I prefer to be relaxed,” the 29-year-old Norwegian says.
Employed in Ahus Hospital in Oslo, Kvisvik is looking to specialise in cardiology. And, armed with a degree in tropical medicine, Kvisvik says the key to remaining healthy is simple.
“Wash your hands before you eat,” he says, adding that he always tells Carlsen that.
It’s not just on account of his medical proficiency that Kvisvik is on Team Carlsen, it was also due to the fact that Kvisvik and Carlsen have played together since childhood.
“As kids, we used to train at the NTG Chess Academy run by Simen Agdestein. We have travelled around Europe for tournaments. We knew each other’s families well,” Kvisvik says.
Carlsen, says Kvisvik, loves to eat, and there is nothing that he has been instructed to avoid.
“The food at the Hyatt is excellent. It is important to have good hygiene. If you wash your hands, you are pretty much safe,” he says.
A FIDE Master, Kvisvik plays team events in his hometown. That way, he says, he is able to be in touch with the sport. “We have our group of friends. We organise tournaments where nearly 300 people take part,” he says.
With a hectic schedule back home, Kvisvik says he is enjoying his stint here: relaxing, shopping and playing ten-pin bowling at the hotel.
“I am having a nice time. Our team is fun,” he says.
On his interactions with Carlsen, Kvisvik says: “We don’t discuss chess. We talk about other sports, like football.”
