Chess legend Magnus Carlsen unmotivated to compete in world championship: ‘I don’t have a lot to gain’

Magnus Carlsen, one of the top chess players in the world, revealed Wednesday he refused to play in the world championship next year against Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Carlsen, 31, said in a podcast interview for his sponsor, Unibet, he has no motivation to defend his title.

“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,” the Norwegian chess champ said, via Reuters.

“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.”

Carlsen beat Nepomniachtchi without losing a game in their last match. The Russian chess player is likely to play China’s Ding Liren. According to Chess.com, those three players are the top in the world.

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“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,” Carlsen continued.

Carlsen is a grandmaster chess champion and has been a five-time World Chess Champion. Additionally, he’s a three-time World Rapid Chess Champion and a five-time World Blitz Chess Champion.

He has been ranked as the No. 1 in the FIDE World Chess rankings since July 2011.