Carlsen will not defend world title next year

Norwegian five-time champion believes he does not ‘have a lot to gain’

LONDON:

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.