1628: Magnus

2016-01-11T18:51:23Z

Jedafterthought: /* Transcript */ correct transcription error

{{comic
| number = 1628
| date = January 11, 2016
| title = Magnus
| image = magnus.png
| titletext = In the latest round, 9-year-old Muhammad Ali beat 10-year-old JFK at air hockey, while Secretariat lost the hot-dog-eating crown to 12-year-old Ken Jennings. Meanwhile, in a huge upset, 11-year-old Martha Stewart knocked out the adult Ronda Rousey.
}}

==Explanation==
[[Cueball]] shows [[Megan]] an {{w|mobile app|app}}, [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus] ([https://itunes.apple.com/app/play-magnus/id808138395?mt=8 iOS], [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=pl.mw.playmagnus Android]) which claims to simulate playing {{w|chess}} against {{w|Magnus Carlsen}} at various ages. Magnus is a {{w|chess grandmaster}} who was ranked no. 1 in the world when this comic was released.

The idea behind the app is that as Magnus grows up he becomes better at chess and thus it become exceedingly difficult to beat him as he gets older. But it claims to do so with an unlikely precision which Randall is mocking; e.g. that Cueball could have beaten Magnus when he was 8½-year-old, but not a half-year later.

Taking the mocking a step further, Megan wants such an app for other sports {{w|tennis}} and {{w|Swimming (sport)|swimming}}, where skill couldn't imaginably be simulated via an app at all. She wants to compare herself to an 8-year-old {{W|Serena Williams}}, a top-ranked professional tennis player. Or to a 6-year-old {{W|Michael Phelps}}, the {{w|List_of_multiple_Olympic_medalists#List_of_most_Olympic_medals_over_career|most decorated Olympian competitor}} of all time.

Cueball expands beyond sport, wishing to determine if he could cook better than an 11-year-old {{W|Martha Stewart}} (author of several cookbooks). Megan wonders if she'd have won an election against a 12-year old JFK ({{W|John F. Kennedy}}, the 35th American President). Obviously, cooking and politics were skills acquired later in life for both figures.

Cueball and Megan continue speculating about their wished-for app simulating what random celebrities (or animals) could do at certain ages, even beyond the skills that made them famous. They finally end up comparing 8-year-old Magnus's swimming skill against 9-year-old Martha's (he wins). But they'd both lose a {{w|hot dog}}-{{w|Competitive eating|eating contest}} against the championship race horse {{W|Secretariat (horse)|Secretariat}}. At this point even Megan realizes (with considerable understatement) their project "has gotten weird".

The title text extends the point to even greater absurdity, e.g. the ludicrous prospect of a young Martha Stewart knocking an adult {{W|Ronda Rousey}} (Olympic bronze medalist judoka and MMA fighter) unconscious, or e 9-year-old {{W|Muhammad Ali}}, one of the all-time great boxers, beating a 10-year-old JFK in the {{w|air hockey}}. The horse also gets s re-mentioned in the title text, losing in a hot dog eating contest against 11-year-old {{W|Ken Jennings}}, record-holder for his winning streak on ''{{W|Jeopardy!}}''.

Chess was previously compared to {{w|basketball}} in [[1392: Dominant Players]], which also mentioned Magnus. This is the tenth [[:Category:Chess|comic about chess]] on {{xkcd}}.

==Transcript==
:[Cueball walks from the right towards Megan while holding up his smartphone.]
:Cueball: Magnus Carlsen has an app where you can play chess against a simulated version of him at different ages.
:Cueball: I can beat the 8½-year-old, but lose to him at 9.

:[While Megan talks to Cueball he lifts his hand to his chin, while holding the smartphone down.]
:Megan: I want that, but for other games. Can I beat 8-year-old Serena Williams at Tennis? Swim laps faster than a 6-year-olf Michael Phelps?
:Cueball: We should make a simulator.

:[Cueball walks out left and Megan follows him. He must have pocketed his phone as it is not in his hand.]
:Cueball: ...Why limit it to games? Can I cook a better chicken than 11-year-old Martha Stewart?
:Megan: Win an election against 12-year-old JFK?

:[At the top frame of this panel there is a small frame with a caption. Below lies Megan on the floor to the left in front of her laptop, while Cueball sits on the floor to the right facing her in front of his own laptop. Between them are some heavy books.]
:Soon...
:[Cueball and Megan sitting at laptops in the bottom of the panel.]
:Megan: Looks like 8-year-old Magnus Carlsen can swim faster than 9-year-old Martha Stewart.
:Cueball: But they both lose a hot-dog-eating contest to 2-year-old Secretariat.
:Megan: This project has gotten weird.

==Trivia==
The app they are talking about is called [http://magnuscarlsen.com/playmagnus Play Magnus].

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]]
[[Category:Comics featuring John F. Kennedy]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:Sport]]
[[Category:Animals]]

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1628: Magnus