Magnus Carlsen, the top-ranked chess player in the world since 2011, declared on Wednesday that he will not be defending his crown.
The last time Magnus Carlsen, a 31-year-old native of Norway, won the title was in 2021. The Candidates Tournament, which ended on July 5 in Madrid, was won by Ian Nepomniachtchi.
Every two years, the competition determines who will compete for the global championship against the current champion.
He and Nepomniachtchi, whom he defeated in the 2021 world championship, were anticipated to square off again in 2023.
Magnus Carlsen said that he met with FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich and FIDE Director General Emil Sutovsky to inform them that he would be unable to defend his title.
He stated his sole ambition at the beginning was to win one world championship. He has since gone on to bag 3.
He lacked motivation during the 2016 World Championship match, which was for his third World Championship, and he did so primarily due to expectations from other people. According to chess champion Carlsen, the fourth and fifth championships had no significance for him.
He will still compete in this year’s Grand Chess Tour events in Miami, St. Louis, India, and Croatia as well as the Chess Olympiad in India.
