In a dramatic turn of events at Norway Chess 2025, former world number one Magnus Carlsen suffered a stunning upset at the hands of 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh in Round 6, prompting a rare emotional outburst that has gone viral across social media.
Carlsen, known for his calm demeanor and fierce dominance in classical chess, slammed the table and sent pieces flying after blundering in a winning position, allowing Gukesh to claim his first-ever classical win over the Norwegian legend.
A Stunning Collapse, and an Emotional Finish
The match, held in Stavanger, appeared to be firmly in Carlsen’s control for much of the game. But as time pressure mounted, the five-time world champion made a critical blunder, and Gukesh capitalized, flipping the script on what seemed to be a certain loss.
“99 out of 100 times I would lose that game,” Gukesh said after the match. “But it was just a lucky day.”
Carlsen, clearly frustrated, banged the table with both hands, sending chess pieces off the board — a rare show of emotion from one of the game’s most composed competitors. Still, he maintained sportsmanship, shaking Gukesh’s hand and patting him on the back.
Gukesh Responds With Class
Gukesh, who recently became the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, responded with humility to both the victory and Carlsen’s reaction.
“Not the way I wanted to win, but I’ll take it,” he told Chess.com. “I’ve also banged a lot of tables in my career. I understand the frustration.”
His coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, praised Gukesh’s resilience:
“He was dead lost for so long, but he kept fighting. That stubbornness paid off.”
With this victory, Gukesh now sits in third place on the tournament leaderboard with 8.5 points, just one point behind both Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, who are tied at the top.
Carlsen vs Gukesh: A Growing Rivalry
This was the second high-profile classical matchup between the two since Gukesh claimed the world title. Carlsen had previously defeated Gukesh in the tournament’s first round with a brilliant king-side attack. The latest result evens their head-to-head score at 1-1 in this event and signals the beginning of what could be chess’s next great rivalry.
Meanwhile, the Norway Chess 2025 tournament continues to shake up the elite circuit, with Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi also securing a key win over Wei Yi, and Vaishali defeating Koneru Humpy in the women’s Armageddon round.