Magnus Carlsen: ‘Maybe I should totally stop playing classical chess’

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Magnus Carlsen 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 abdicating the 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: “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.”

Then, as if to prove his point, Carlsen played out a draw in 20 moves with Nakamura with a threefold repetition on the board. When the draw happened, Nakamura had one hour and 24 minutes on the clock while Carlsen had an hour and 48 minutes. The duo then played in an Armageddon clash to figure out the winner of the contest. There, he took Nakamura down in just 40 moves.

Nakamura, meanwhile, told TV2 after the classical draw: “There is a 20 percent chance that you have seen the last classical game between Magnus and me.”

After his takedown of the American Nakamura, Carlsen spoke to the Take Take Take app, where he elaborated on his quote.

“It’s not that I cannot play classical chess. But in situations like yesterday, I was wondering, ‘why am I doing this? What’s the point?’”

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Carlsen said that he will do his best in the final three classical games at Norway Chess, and “then see what he’s supposed to do”.

After his outburst post the defeat to Gukesh, Carlsen praised the Indian world champion.

Talking about the game against Gukesh with ANI, Carlsen said: “I think I remember being that age myself and something spending your energy, your fighting qualities and your optimism is sometimes bigger than the quality of your moves. For a long time, Gukesh was just blindly pushing. On a normal day, of course, I would win that game. What he does well is that he really fights very, very well. He was there to take his chance. That’s the kind of chance that I really have to put away otherwise I have no chance.”