Magnus Carlsen will not defend his world championship in 2023 against Russia's Ian Nepomniachtchi as he is not motivated to play another match, the Norwegian five-time champion said in a podcast on Wednesday. If Carlsen does not defend his title, Nepomniachtchi is likely to face the runner up in the recent Candidates tournament, China's Ding Liren. "I feel I don't have a lot to gain, I don't particularly like (the championship matches), and although I'm sure a match would be interesting for historical reasons and all of that, I don't have any inclination to play and I will simply not play the match," he said on the podcast for his sponsor Unibet.