World chess champion Magnus Carlsen resigns. The Norwegian is giving up his title and will not defend it in spring 2023 as planned.
“I lack the motivation for another title fight,” said the 31-year-old in a Wednesday video podcast published by its sponsor.
After the Candidates Tournament in Madrid, he informed the world association FIDE about it, said the Norwegian, who, according to his own statement, had been thinking about this step for “one and a half years”.
However, Carlsen wants to continue his chess career and has not ruled out a World Championship comeback at a later date.
In the past, the superstar had repeatedly criticized the mode of the Classic World Cup and suggested innovations. This obviously fell on deaf ears at the association.
After his most recent successful title defense in December 2021 against Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, he had indicated that he only wanted to compete again in the World Cup duel if the Franco-Iranian prodigy Alireza Firouzja won the Candidates Tournament. Many still interpreted this as a joke.
In Madrid it was Nepomniachtchi who emerged victorious and will now face second-placed China’s Ding Liren for the Kings’ World Cup crown.
Carlsen won this against Viswanathan Anand in 2013 and successfully defended it for the first time against the Indian the following year. In 2016 he defeated Sergej Karjakin (Russia), in 2018 the American Fabiano Caruana.