Magnus Carlsen slams table in defeat by Gukesh Dommaraju at Norway Chess
– A seething Magnus Carlsen slammed his fist into a table after suffering his first defeat by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a classical game on June 1 in Stavanger.
Carlsen had his opponent on the ropes for much of the match in the Norway Chess 2025 tournament but his composure cracked under the pressure of a ticking clock and he committed a blunder that handed India's Gukesh a decisive advantage.
Carlsen slammed his fist on the table after the defeat before exchanging a quick handshake with Gukesh, apologising for his outburst and storming off.
'First classical win over Magnus, not the way I expected (or) wanted it to be but I will take it. I was just trying to make moves (today) which kind of were tricky for him... I've also banged a lot of tables in my career,' Gukesh told Chess.com.
On the game, the 19-year-old Indian said: 'I'm still kind of shaken from that game. There wasn't much I could do. It was just clearly lost (his position)... luckily he (Carlsen) got into a time scramble.
'99 out of 100 times I would lose… just a lucky day,' he added.
Carlsen remained top of the standings after the defeat.
The 34-year-old Norwegian beat the world champion in the first round of the tournament last week and posted on social media that he was the 'king' of chess.
Gukesh's coach said his charge's June 1 win will give the teen a 'huge pump of confidence'
Grzegorz Gajewski was quoted by the Hindustan Times as saying: 'It (the win) just gives a huge pump of confidence (to Gukesh) because once you've done it, you know you can do it again. And that's the plan.
'And for the tournament (Norway Chess) that's going ahead, it gives him (Gukesh) a bump. Hopefully we can break another unbreakable margin. Perfect.'
In April, Carlsen had underlined his status as one of chess' most versatile and dominant figures, clinching victory at the inaugural Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.
In the process, he once again demonstrated his adaptability by mastering yet another format in the evolving landscape of the game.
The Freestyle Grand Slam format, which blends elements of classical, rapid, and Chess960 into a single tournament, has quickly gained traction among top players and fans for its unpredictability and creative demands.
He finished ahead of a world-class field that included Hikaru Nakamura, whom he in the final, as well as Gukesh.
In March, Carlsen, the world champion from 2013 to 2023, said no active player would entice him to make a comeback to the classical world championship. REUTERS
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