Magnus Carlsen will not defend his world championship in 2023 against Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi as he is not motivated to play another match, the Norwegian five-time champion said in a podcast on Wednesday.
“I feel I don’t have a lot to gain, I don’t particularly like (the championship matches), and although I’m sure a match would be interesting for historical reasons and all of that, I don’t have any inclination to play and I will simply not play the match," he said on the podcast for his sponsor Unibet.
“Ultimately the conclusion stands, one that I’m pretty comfortable with, one that I’ve thought a lot about for a long time now, I would say more than a year… since long before the last match" in which he beat Nepomniachtchi without losing a game, Carlsen said.
“And I’ve spoken to people in my team, I’ve spoken to FIDE, I spoke to Ian as well. And the conclusion is, it’s very simple, that I am not motivated to play another match," said Carlsen, who has spent over a decade as the top-ranked player in the world.
If Carlsen does not defend his title, Nepomniachtchi is likely to face the runner up in the recent Candidates tournament, China’s Ding Liren.
FIDE said Carlsen “has not officially withdrawn yet" but “he has not been sent the contract for the match and a deadline has not been formally set."
“Magnus Carlsen deserves nothing but respect from FIDE, and from the whole chess community, in whatever decision he makes regarding his career," FIDE President Arkady 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.
“His decision not to defend his title is undoubtedly a disappointment for the fans, and bad news for the spectacle. It leaves a big void.
“But chess is now stronger than ever in part, thanks to Magnus and the World Championship Match, one of the longest and most respected traditions in the world of sports, will go on."
Carlsen, however, will be playing the 44th edition of the Chess Olympiad in Chennai as part of the Norway team.
“Just so there’s no ambiguity here, I’m not retiring from chess, I’m still going to be an active player. I’m leaving later today to go to Croatia to play the Grand Chess Tour," he said.
“From there on I’m going to go to Chennai to play the Olympiad, which is going to be a lot of fun, and the Norwegian team are seeded as number four there."
(With inputs from Agencies)
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