Five-Time Champion Magnus Carlsen Won't Defend His World Chess Title
“I simply feel that I don’t have a lot to gain.”
At 31 years of age, Magnus Carlsen has the highest chess rating of all time and is widely considered the best chess player ever to play the game. Showing a genius-level talent at a young age, Carlsen pulled out a draw against the legendary Gary Kasparov at the age of 13 and has reigned as World Chess Champion since 2013. After holding the world title for almost a decade, Carlsen has now announced that he will not be defending his title at the biannual competition next year.
“The conclusion is very simple I am not motivated to play another match,” Carlsen said on his The Magnus Effect podcast. “I simply feel that I don’t have a lot to gain. I don’t particularly like it, and although I’m sure a match would be interesting for historical reasons and all of that, I don’t have any inclinations to play and I will simply not play the match.”
Carlsen later met with International Chess Federation (FIDE) President Arkady Dvorkovich and Director General Emil Sutovsky to confirm his decision. While the duo urged him to return, FIDE ultimately respected his decision. “Magnus Carlsen deserves nothing but respect from FIDE, and from the whole chess community, in whatever decision he makes regarding his career,” Dvorkovich said in a statement. “Only a handful of people in history can understand and assess the tremendous toll that it takes playing five matches for the title.”
Carlsen stated that he really only wanted to win one world title and his fourth and fifth titles did not feel meaningful for him. Going forward, he will still remain active, playing at this year’s Grand Chess Tour. In Carlsen’s absence, grandmasters Ding Liren from China and Ian Nepomniachtchi from Russia will play in the next championship in 2023.
“I don’t rule out a return in the future, but I wouldn’t particularly count on it either,” Carlsen concludes.
Elsewhere, Charles Oliveira has been crowned 2022 ESPYS Fighter of the Year.
