Carlsen's last gambit: Why World Chess Champion checked his title defence

As Norwegian Grandmaster ends his last game as reigning No. 1, a look at the chessboard of ratings and stages to the top

On Sunday, Norwegian Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen played his last game as the reigning world chess champion. It was a hard-fought draw against an old “frenemy”, Grandmaster David Howell of England (they’ve been rivals since they were 12-year-olds).

The 32-year-old Carlsen is not retiring. He continues to be rated World Number 1 and is, in fact, the reigning “triple champion”, holding the trifecta of Classical (long time control), Rapid and Blitz titles. But he’s not interested in once again defending the classical title he claimed by beating Viswanathan Anand in a title match in Chennai in 2013.

In four subsequent title