“Dear Chess Doctor –Why do you think Magnus choose the path that he did, and how will his choice affect the next generation of chess?“
Recently, in a highly controversial move, World Champion Magnus Carlsen announced that he would not defend his title against Nepomniachtchi, which is the decision I assume the questioner is referring to. In doing so Magnus abdicated his crown to the winner of a match between Nepo and Ding Liren (the second-place finisher in the Candidates).
The question at hand: why did he do it, and how will this affect the next generation of up-and-coming chess players?
First of all, the reason for Magnus’s decision could boil down to any one of several factors. For one, he has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the format of the World Championship cycle. There is certainly an argument to be made that FIDE as an organization has caused the worthy champion to turn his back on the title, thus creating an uneven – though not unprecedented – scene in the chess world where the world’s strongest player is not the World Champion. Garry Kasparov, for one, suspects this to be the case. Despite this fact, it is worth noting that Carlsen hasn’t yet suggested any alternative match formats that I am aware of, which hints at a different problem.
It can also be speculated that Magnus has become tired of playing grueling World Championship matches in which, at this point, he proves little by winning. Magnus himself made this latter point in stating, as is well known at this point, that only Firouzja would prove a worthy challenger to his crown, and against other contestants he would likely not defend his title.
It would be blatantly arrogant and disrespectful to other top players if this was his true reason for stepping down. His actions would seem to indicate that sentiment that “I am so clearly superior that I can’t be bothered to step down from my dais to play in the World Championship.” I would like to believe that Magnus had different reasons for making the choice he did, though it is difficult to tell what was going on in his head. I aim simply to present the possible conclusions he might have come to.
There can be no doubt that training for (and then contesting) a match at this scale is extremely strenuous and, as Nigel Short put it, “physically and emotionally draining.” Magnus has certainly experienced lack of motivation in past matches – 2016 and 2018 both could have ended badly for him, and both had a huge draw rate, the latter setting a record for World Championship matches. I venture to postulate that this was Magnus’s main motivation in stepping down – a simple lack of motivation, and lack of enjoyment derived from the process of preparing for and contesting the match.
Regardless of how he came to take such a drastic step, I respect that it was entirely his decision to make and wish Magnus the best of luck on his extremely ambitious goal of reaching a 2900 FIDE rating. Now, it’s time to tackle the question that concerns all of us chess players in the here and now: how will Magnus’s decision affect the next generation of chess players?
In the short term there is no doubt that many of the world’s elite will have a powerful new motivator. Magnus’s reign was long and prosperous for himself, but the remaining top players certainly must have felt a bit stifled by his continued dominance. Now, with no clear favorite for the World Championship title, Magnus’ “understudies” are all in it with a shot to take the crown, and a place in chess history. On the flip side, it could also be said that, with Magnus stepping out of the title ring, many up and coming players will lose the special motivation that comes from preparing for and training to beat the very best.
However it shakes out in the end, it will be interesting to see whether or not Magnus will continue to prove his dominance in tournament play. Perhaps if a certain adversary is giving him a hard time, he will see it fit to vie for the title, though he has said this is not likely. The upcoming Nepo-Ding match to decide who fills the vacated seat will also be of the utmost interest. I will be rooting for Ding who, with his humble, quiet confidence, has come within shouting distance of the pinnacle of the chess world, despite enduring many hardships that were out of his control.
Who do you think will win, and by what margin? Feel free to comment below.
I hope this helps answer the original question! As always, you’re welcome to submit a question of your own by clicking the button below or going to https://grandmaster2b.com/chess-doctor/
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