D Gukesh Shocks Carlsen in Norway Chess Classic, Sparks Emotional Reaction
Emotions ran high in Stavanger as 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh handed Magnus Carlsen one of the most gut-wrenching defeats of his career during Round 6 of the prestigious Norway Chess tournament. Playing in front of a home crowd, Carlsen—World No. 1 and the face of modern chess—reacted with uncharacteristic fury, punching the table after a late-game blunder cost him a seemingly dominant position.
The dramatic moment unfolded after Gukesh, playing white, held his nerve in a difficult endgame. Despite being under pressure for most of the match, he capitalized on a rare mistake by Carlsen in the increment time control phase. It marked Gukesh’s first-ever classical win over the Norwegian legend, and came just days after Carlsen had beaten him convincingly in the tournament opener.
The loss clearly rattled Carlsen, who left the playing hall abruptly and skipped post-game interactions. His reaction—slamming the board in frustration—highlighted the weight of the defeat. Fans noted the irony, as Carlsen had previously shared a cryptic message on social media after his earlier win: “You come at the king, you best not miss.”
Gukesh’s joy was evident as he celebrated with his long-time coach Grzegorz Gajewski, delivering a victorious fist bump that reportedly left quite an impression. This win not only served as a personal milestone for Gukesh but also shook up the leaderboard.
Interestingly, this is the second consecutive year that Carlsen has suffered a classical defeat to an Indian teenager at the Norway Chess event—R Praggnanandhaa achieved a similar feat in 2024.
Chess legend Susan Polgar summed up the moment best: “Carlsen rarely loses in classical chess, and he rarely blunders. This must be one of the most painful losses of his career.”
In other matches, fellow Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi added to the celebrations by defeating China’s Wei Yi, marking a strong round for India at the elite round-robin tournament.
As Round 6 wrapped up, the leaderboard saw a shakeup: Carlsen remained narrowly in the lead with 9.5 points, followed by Fabiano Caruana (8) and Hikaru Nakamura (6.5), with Gukesh now firmly in the mix as the event approaches its final rounds.
