Magnus Carlsen: ‘Maybe I should totally stop playing classical chess’
Magnus Carlsen at Norway Chess 2025 in Stavanger. (PHOTO: Michal Walusza via Norway Chess)
Is the world seeing the last of Magnus Carlsen playing in the classical format at the ongoing Norway Chess? The world no 1, who won five world chess championships before walking away from the world champion’s throne in 2023, told Norway’s TV2 in an interview at Stavanger before his round 7 clash with Hikaru Nakamura that classical chess was not “fun at all” for him and then mentioned that he should “maybe totally stop playing classical chess.”
Carlsen had cut a frustrated figure after losing for the first time in classical chess against Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning world champion, on Sunday. He had banged his fist on the board and let out an exasperated sigh of: “Oh my God.”
Talking about playing classical chess, Carlsen said: “I don’t think that (the game against Gukesh, not the incident) was fun. I have to consider how to avoid it… maybe I should totally stop playing classical chess. It was not fun for me at all. In general I feel I have played well in the tournament but I don’t feel it is fun playing. I am not worried about my level.”
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