Magnus Carlsen has stated that he may not defend his world chess title.

Magnus Carlsen, the newly minted double World Chess Champion, thinks he is unlikely to defend his title unless he faces Alireza Firouzja, a French-Iranian prodigy.

“Those who expect me to play in the World Championship next time have a very good chance of being disappointed,” the Norwegian remarked in a podcast interview conducted in Dubai. In his fifth consecutive title final, the 31-year-old defeated Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi 7.5-3.5.

“For the better part of the year, I’ve been certain that this World Championship should be the final. It no longer has the same significance as it once did “Carlsen explained. “I haven’t had the impression that the good outweighs the bad.” Only Firouzja, he claims, excites him as a potential opponent.

In November, the 18-year-old won an 11-round 108-payer tournament in Riga, determining the eight qualifiers for a candidates competition to determine who will face Carlsen next year.
Firouzja has surpassed American Fabiano Caruana as the world’s number two player. “What happened in Riga, where Alireza Firouzja won and qualified for the Candidates Tournament… made it possible for me to meet him again,” Carlsen stated.

“It may be something that appropriately drives me.” It has already aided my drive for the upcoming World Championship match. “It’s doubtful that I’ll play in the next world championship match if someone other than Firouzja wins the Candidates Tournament,” Carlsen remarked. “Then I suppose I can say I’m content.”

Carlsen would tie with German Emanuel Lasker, the champion from 1894 to 1921, and Soviet Mikhal Botvinnik if he wins his sixth title match. Botvinnik was the champion from 1948 to 1963, albeit he lost and reclaimed the title twice, and his two successful defences were in drew matches.

Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov, both Russians, share six world championship titles, however some of them were won while two circuits were coexisting. Carlsen ruled off the possibility of stopping his chess clock.

“I’ll keep playing chess because it’s a lot of fun for me. I began to look forward to playing the World Rapid and Blitz Championship this Christmas while still in the thick of the World Championship in Dubai “he stated “However, the World Championship is coming up this Christmas,” he explained. “However, the World Championship hasn’t been as enjoyable.”

Carlsen has stated that he wished to break the 2,900 mark in the chess rating system named after Hungarian Arpad Elo. Carlsen has a world record of 2,882 and improved his rating throughout the world championship.

“I’ve never set it as a goal because I thought it was too difficult,” he explained.

I’ve boosted the rating to 2,865, which is at least a target you can shoot towards. It doesn’t appear to be absolutely impossible “he stated “There isn’t any margin for error. It is something for which one should strive.”