'He got arrogant': Magnus Carlsen slammed for stepping away from World Championship cycle

Former world chess champion Anatoly Karpov has criticised Magnus Carlsen’s decision to step away from the World Championship cycle, saying the Norwegian star “made a mistake” and even calling it a sign of arrogance.

Speaking to Russian news agency TASS, Karpov said Carlsen, widely regarded as the most dominant player of the modern era, should have continued competing for the world title instead of withdrawing from the cycle.

“Carlsen is the most charismatic chess player right now, of course. But he made a mistake by giving up on the world championship title, even though he was the obvious champion. He got arrogant,” Karpov said.

Kaprov says he would have competed well against Carlsen in his prime

The Russian legend also spoke about how he would have fared against Carlsen during his own prime years. “In my prime, I could have easily competed with Carlsen. Whether I won or not, there would have been a fight. That’s obvious,” he added.

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Carlsen, who has dominated world chess for over a decade, stepped away from the traditional World Championship format in 2022 after defending his title five times, choosing instead to focus on other formats and tournaments.

The Norwegian star cited lack of motivation as the key reason behind his decision to abdicate the throne. He explained that the traditional World Championship format no longer appealed to him. Carlsen said he felt he had “nothing left to prove” in the classical format after reaching the peak of the game.

Karpov also reflected on how chess culture has changed in Russia compared to the Soviet era, when the game enjoyed massive popularity and state support. “In the Soviet Union, chess was like a religion. Things are improving a bit now, and it's returning to that. But chess has lost a lot here. Chess players used to be like rock stars. Not anymore,” he said.