Magnus Carlsen has shared why he is not returning to deliberate practice in chess despite a recent dip in form, stating that his priorities have shifted as he prepares to welcome a child with his wife, Ella Victoria Malone, whom he married in January 2025.
Carlsen’s comments come after consecutive defeats to India’s world champion D Gukesh, including his first Classical loss to Gukesh in June and another defeat in the Rapid section of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 event in Zagreb. Russian chess legend Garry Kasparov had recently questioned Carlsen’s dominance in the sport.
Speaking to The Athletic, Carlsen said, “I have enough to do. I got a wife. I got a kid on the way. I live chess in the sense that I always follow what’s happening. I might play online. It’s fun. But deliberate practice? No, not really. It is my favourite hobby, as well as my job.”
Deliberate practice in chess is a structured training method aimed at improving specific skills with targeted exercises and feedback. ResearchGate reports that such practice plays a critical role in developing chess expertise.
Carlsen, who abdicated his world title in 2023 after remaining unbeaten in five World Championship matches, will next compete in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam event in Las Vegas.
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