Exclusive Magnus Carlsen: I've lost interest in classical chess; Gukesh isn't world's best

Al Arabiya

22-05-2025

Chess legend Magnus Carlsen says he no longer finds joy in classical chess and does not consider newly crowned world champion Gukesh Dommaraju the best player in the world.
In an exclusive interview on Al Arabiya English, the five-time world champion opened up about his evolving relationship with the game, describing a shift in motivation and mindset.
'I haven't enjoyed the kind of normal classical chess that much the last few years, specifically…the preparation aspect of it…and the knowledge that we have has become a great equalizer,' he told presenter Micheal Prendergast.
Carlsen emphasized that while he will still play occasionally, the traditional format will not be a central part of his career going forward. Instead, he's gravitated toward creative and experimental formats like Chess960, where he says he's rediscovered his 'childish joy.'
The 33-year-old also addressed the meteoric rise of Indian prodigy Gukesh Dommaraju, who made history by becoming the youngest player to win the World Chess Championship in 2025. While Carlsen praised Gukesh's performance, he challenged the assumption that the teenager is now the world's top player.
'He had poor showing in his last classical tournaments and he's kind of struggled so far…' Carlsen said. 'In Rapid and Blitz, he's also had very, very good results in classical. Is he the best player in the world? Well, I don't necessarily think so, but he's kind of done everything that you could expect from him and so much more as well.'
The chess player acknowledged that comparisons to his own legacy may be unfair, especially since he voluntarily stepped away from the world championship cycle.
'I'm the one who kind of brings it on in a sense by withdrawing from the world championship, but I think generally it's a bit unfair to [Dommaraju]... I think he's doing fantastic and he's very worthy as a world champion.'
Rivalries, ratings, and streaming culture
During the interview, Carlsen dismissed the idea of chasing Hikaru Nakamura's blitz rating of 3,408, adding that he doesn't have time to waste beating lower rated players.
'First of all it's extremely good but he also has that mindset from all the hours that he spends streaming to sort of be able to grind down lower rated players for hours and hours and I don't really have that,' he told Al Arabiya English.
Commenting on the viral 'Magnus vs the World' event, where over 140,000 players collaborated to force a draw, Carlsen said the experience was fun but 'got very engine-driven' toward the end.
As for being barred from competing due to wearing jeans, Carlsen didn't mince words: 'It was an absurd overreaction… it speaks to the incompetence of the organization.'