Magnus Carlsen drops bomb shell, confirms he won't defend World Championship title in 2023

Reigning five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen made a blockbuster announcement on July 20 as he revealed that he would not be defending his title next year. As a result, the championship will now be decided between Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi and the runner-up of the candidates' tournament, Ding Liren of China.

Magnus Carlsen will not defend Chess World Championship title

Magnus Carlsen made the massive revelation on Wednesday when he was speaking on a podcast for his sponsor Unibet. The Norwegian said, "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."

While Carlsen officially confirmed he would not defend his title in 2023, it does not come as a major surprise considering his comments after beating Nepomniachtchi 7.5-3.5 last year. After winning his fifth title, Carlsen had said that he does not believe he has a lot to gain, and hence, was considering not defending his championship.

Speaking of his huge decision, Carlsen added, "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. 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."

Magnus Carlsen's staggering career

Magnus Carlsen's chess career has been nothing short of staggering as the Norwegian has not only won five world championships but has also held the number one ranking since July 1, 2011. He only trails Garry Kasparov when it comes to this record.

He also holds the record for the highest peak FIDE rating of 2882 and a breathtaking record for the longest unbeaten streak in history (125 games). That is not it, as he also became the world's youngest top-ranked player at the age of 19 when he earned the top spot in the rankings in 2010. Moreover, he is the only player in history to hold the World Chess Championship in all three formats (Classical, Rapid & Blitz) simultaneously.