Five-time World Chess champion Magnus Carlsen won't defend title in 2023

Magnus Carlsen, who has been the reigning World Chess champion for nine years, announced Wednesday that he won't defend his world title in 2023, citing a lack of motivation.

Carlsen, 31, made the announcement on a Unibet podcast, telling co-host Magnus Barstad that he met with International Chess Federation (FIDE) leadership to discuss potential changes to the biennial World Chess Championship.

"We did have a small discussion. They came with a few suggestions — some of them I liked, some of them I didn't," Carlsen said on the podcast. "However, my decision stands. This is a conclusion I am comfortable with, and a decision that I have thought a lot about for a long time, for more than a year and a half. I've spoken with people from the team, I've spoken with FIDE, and I've spoken with Ian [Nepomniachtchi], and I have told them that I am not motivated to play yet another world championship game."

Carlsen defeated Nepomniachtchi in a best-of-14 match at the 2021 World Chess Championship. Nepomniachtchi won the 2022 Candidates Tournament, earning him the right to challenge Carlsen for the championship again. Now he'll face Candidates Tournament runner-up, Ding Liren, sometime in early 2023 to crown a new champion.

"[Carlsen's] decision not to defend his title is undoubtedly a disappointment for the fans, and bad news for the spectacle. It leaves a big void," FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich said in a statement. "But chess is now stronger than ever — in part, thanks to Magnus — and the World Championship Match, one of the longest and most respected traditions in the world of sports, will go on." 

Carlsen became the World Chess champion in November 2013, days before turning 23. He successfully defended the title in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2021. With another victory, Carlsen could've tied Emanuel Lasker, Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov for the most championship wins with six.