"It's Chaotic": Chess World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen Reveals Why He Does Not Play In India

Magnus Carlsen, the undisputed world number one for over a decade, believes chess ratings today are somewhat "deflated" compared to the past but remains unfazed by the possibility of someone surpassing him. The five-time world champion, who held the title from 2013 to 2023, chose not to defend his crown, citing lack of motivation. Despite stepping back from classical tournaments, Carlsen's reign at the top is one of the longest and most dominant in chess history.

"I don't play a lot of classical chess, so whenever somebody is going to pass me, I wouldn't particularly mind," the 33-year-old Norwegian said during a media interaction ahead of the Tata Steel Chess India Rapid and Blitz tournament here.

"I think a lot of people had the chance to surpass me, but we'll see when it happens. I think it sort of depends on others." Carlsen also suggested that chess ratings may not carry the same weight they did a decade ago.

"There's definitely been deflation in chess ratings, so a level of ELO 2830 would probably correspond to 2850 about 10 years ago, and not a lot of people have reached that," noted Carlsen, who currently has a FIDE rating of 2831.

Having held the world number 1 spot almost continuously since July 1, 2011, Carlsen first achieved the top ranking in January 2010 at the age of 19, becoming the youngest player to reach that position.

After briefly losing it in mid 2011, he reclaimed the top spot and has dominated it ever since. Throughout his career, Carlsen has set multiple records, including the highest FIDE rating ever recorded at 2882 in May 2014.

Since opting out of the World Championship in 2023, Carlsen has "picked and chosen" tournaments with formats and opponents he finds exciting, focusing on rapid, blitz,