Magnus Carlsen was challenged with the question of ‘if he would be able to dominate,’ while D Gukesh's ‘insane run’ served as a reminder

Magnus Carlsen will not take part in the forthcoming 2026 Candidates Tournament, nor will he challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship title.Even though Magnus Carlsen gave up his title as World Chess Champion in 2022, he continues to hold the No. 1 position in the FIDE classical rankings. The five-time World Chess Champion remains the top classical chess player globally. He shares the title of reigning eight-time World Blitz Champion with Ian Nepomniachtchi, and he is also a five-time World Rapid Champion.Carlsen is not involved in the current FIDE cycle. He will not take part in the forthcoming 2026 Candidates Tournament, nor will he challenge D Gukesh for the World Championship title or compete in the upcoming 2025 Chess World Cup.He did not participate in the recent FIDE Grand Swiss held in Samarkand, where Anish Giri emerged victorious and Matthias Blubaum was the runner-up.

The duo also secured qualification for the Candidates' Tournament. In a conversation with FIDE, Giri addressed the competitive nature of elite chess tournaments, noting that nearly all participants are on equal footing. „Ich denke, das Spielfeld ist derzeit sehr eben“, sagte er.In the interview I gave, people misunderstood it. I mentioned that a few players would exit, cited some names, and indeed, some of those players have fallen out of the top ten. I merely mentioned a lot of names. It was not focused on specific players, but rather in general terms. The Dutch GM went on, "I was referring to a concept that somehow all the top players at this moment don’t seem to have anyone who stands out, with all due respect."