The quotation that disagrees with Karlov’s defensiveness about chess is:
“He goes a little off-track, however, in his comparisons to other, supposedly lesser hobbies such as ‘mindless’ video games and ‘primitive’ traditional sports.”
This statement suggests that Karlov's comparisons diminish the value of other interests and imply a defensiveness about the status of chess, which contradicts the notion that chess is already a well-established and widely played game.