Answers.Body: <p>Magnus himself stated at the end of 2021 after the Nepomniatchi -Carlsen match that he did not have the motivation to contest another challenge unless it was Alireza Firouzja as the challenger.</p>
  <p>FIDE reported it <a href="https://chessarena.com/news/all/carlsen-will-give-up-his-title-will-not-defend-in-2023/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">thus</a></p>
  <p>Chess media reports from chess base <a href="https://en.chessbase.com/post/no-more-world-championship-matches-for-carlsen" rel="nofollow noreferrer"> here</a> and <a href="https://en.chessbase.com/post/breaking-news-magnus-carlsen-won-t-defend-his-title-2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">another here</a></p>
  <p>News media reports from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/20/magnus-carlsen-will-not-defend-his-world-chess-championship-title-in-2023" rel="nofollow noreferrer"> The Guardian</a> and from <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/08/sport/world-chess-championship-2023-preview-spt-intl/index.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">CNN</a>.</p>
  <p>So, these are Magnus’ own opinions and FIDE and the media reports at the time.
  I am unaware of other speculation or opinion in the open media.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-11-09T13:51:46.110Z
Answers.Text: Just saying, an answer consisted mostly of links isn't that great. Some links (or even all at some point) might not work in the future. It's best to quote the relevant parts from those links also directly into the answer
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ivo
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Answers.Text: In the 2022-08-27 [Lex Fridman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lex_Fridman) interview (#315), [Magnus speaks about the pressure](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZO28NtkwwQ&t=44m23s) of the World Chess Championship from 44 min 23 secs. E.g. (my emphasis), *"In terms of* ***fear for losing,*** *that is a huge reason why I am not going to play the World Championship."* (45 min 04 secs)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Mortensen
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Answers.CreationDate: 2023-11-10T21:35:49.280Z
Answers.Text: @Peter Mortensen Magnus' I listened with interest but. the original reason of November 2021  for not contesting the WCC had caries more  legitimacy than fear of losing to a lesser player.
Answers.UserDisplayName: schweppz
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Answers.LastEditDate: 2023-11-12T09:47:11.857Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: schweppz
Answers.Body: <p>The deeper reason for Magnus deciding not to play WC may be that he tries to use his influence to bring change to the WC competition format.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-09-29T05:43:47.137Z
Answers.Text: please add more detail and elaborate when posting an answer. Short answers like this one belong in the comments section, not the main answer section.
Answers.UserDisplayName: MrChessR
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Nordbagga
Answers.Body: <p>I believe that Magnus decided not to compete in the 2023 World Chess Championship because there was more to lose than to gain. Everybody would be expecting him to win and I think that was a little too much for Magnus to handle even though he is arguably the greatest of all time and would probably win. If he didn't win everybody would think that he is falling off and may not be in his prime anymore. I hope this makes sense and hopefully helps you understand why he decided not to compete.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-12-06T08:48:36.890Z
Answers.Text: It is  your opinion : but is there any evidence behind it ?
Answers.UserDisplayName: schweppz
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Answers.UserDisplayName: CadenCDC
Answers.Body: <p>It's not that Carlsen finds the World Chess Championship too easy, but rather that he is losing interest in classical chess as a whole. The reason for that is opening preparation dominates classical chess, which means spending a lot of time looking for new ideas to gain an opening advantage. Carlsen does not find this very interesting, because it pits your computer against your opponent's computer, as opposed to your chess-playing skill against their chess-playing skill. The World Chess Championship is especially harsh on this, because the opponent will have serious support in the opening (with dedicated seconds), which means you need to do the same to be competitive.</p>
  <p>You can see secondary effects of this fatigue from Carlsen occasionally playing moves like 1. a4 or 1. e4 g5 (as Black), to get out of well-explored opening territory as quickly as possible.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-11-09T08:35:19.077Z
Answers.Text: This is not what Carlsen himself has given as a reason, which is found in another answer. Do you have any source to verify your claims about what he thinks is interesting?
Answers.UserDisplayName: blues
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Answers.Text: @blues https://www.chess.com/news/view/carlsen-on-his-future-personal-life-motivation-and-more
Answers.UserDisplayName: Allure
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Answers.Text: @Allure good rebuttal. You should edit it into your answer.
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Answers.UserDisplayName: Allure
Body: <p>Why did Magnus Carlsen not defend the 2023 world chess title? He claimed it was too easy, but is there a deeper meaning/reason that he chose not to participate?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2023-11-10T19:13:25.540Z
Comments.Text: Magnus Carlsen never said it was too easy, he said it was too much work to prepare (more than half the year in preparation). You were mislead by whoever told you he said it was too easy.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Max D
Tags: <world-championship><carlsen>
Title: Why did Magnus Carlsen not play the World Chess Championship in 2023?
ThreadText: # Why did Magnus Carlsen not play the World Chess Championship in 2023?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-11-08)
  
  Why did Magnus Carlsen not defend the 2023 world chess title? He claimed it was too easy, but is there a deeper meaning/reason that he chose not to participate?
  
  **Tags:** world-championship, carlsen
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Magnus Carlsen never said it was too easy, he said it was too much work to prepare (more than half the year in preparation). You were mislead by whoever told you he said it was too easy.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 4 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_7 on 2023-11-08. Score: 24 | Accepted answer
  
  It's not that Carlsen finds the World Chess Championship too easy, but rather that he is losing interest in classical chess as a whole. The reason for that is opening preparation dominates classical chess, which means spending a lot of time looking for new ideas to gain an opening advantage. Carlsen does not find this very interesting, because it pits your computer against your opponent's computer, as opposed to your chess-playing skill against their chess-playing skill. The World Chess Championship is especially harsh on this, because the opponent will have serious support in the opening (with dedicated seconds), which means you need to do the same to be competitive.
  
  You can see secondary effects of this fatigue from Carlsen occasionally playing moves like 1. a4 or 1. e4 g5 (as Black), to get out of well-explored opening territory as quickly as possible.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_8**: This is not what Carlsen himself has given as a reason, which is found in another answer. Do you have any source to verify your claims about what he thinks is interesting?  
  > **username_7**: @username_8 https://www.chess.com/news/view/carlsen-on-his-future-personal-life-motivation-and-more  
  > **username_9**: @username_7 good rebuttal. You should edit it into your answer.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2023-11-08. Score: 14
  
  Magnus himself stated at the end of 2021 after the Nepomniatchi -Carlsen match that he did not have the motivation to contest another challenge unless it was Alireza Firouzja as the challenger.
  
  FIDE reported it [thus](https://chessarena.com/news/all/carlsen-will-give-up-his-title-will-not-defend-in-2023/)
  
  Chess media reports from chess base  [here](https://en.chessbase.com/post/no-more-world-championship-matches-for-carlsen) and [another here](https://en.chessbase.com/post/breaking-news-magnus-carlsen-won-t-defend-his-title-2)
  
  News media reports from  [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/20/magnus-carlsen-will-not-defend-his-world-chess-championship-title-in-2023) and from [CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2023/04/08/sport/world-chess-championship-2023-preview-spt-intl/index.html).
  
  So, these are Magnus’ own opinions and FIDE and the media reports at the time.
  I am unaware of other speculation or opinion in the open media.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Just saying, an answer consisted mostly of links isn't that great. Some links (or even all at some point) might not work in the future. It's best to quote the relevant parts from those links also directly into the answer  
  > **username_4**: In the 2022-08-27 [Lex Fridman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lex_Fridman) interview (#315), [Magnus speaks about the pressure](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZO28NtkwwQ&t=44m23s) of the World Chess Championship from 44 min 23 secs. E.g. (my emphasis), *"In terms of* ***fear for losing,*** *that is a huge reason why I am not going to play the World Championship."* (45 min 04 secs)  
  > **username_2**: @username_4 Magnus' I listened with interest but. the original reason of November 2021  for not contesting the WCC had caries more  legitimacy than fear of losing to a lesser player.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2023-12-15. Score: 0
  
  The deeper reason for Magnus deciding not to play WC may be that he tries to use his influence to bring change to the WC competition format.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: please add more detail and elaborate when posting an answer. Short answers like this one belong in the comments section, not the main answer section.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_6 on 2023-11-23. Score: -2
  
  I believe that Magnus decided not to compete in the 2023 World Chess Championship because there was more to lose than to gain. Everybody would be expecting him to win and I think that was a little too much for Magnus to handle even though he is arguably the greatest of all time and would probably win. If he didn't win everybody would think that he is falling off and may not be in his prime anymore. I hope this makes sense and hopefully helps you understand why he decided not to compete.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: It is  your opinion : but is there any evidence behind it ?  
  
  ---
  
  