Magnus Carlsen trolls haters after Grand Chess Tour Zagreb win, deletes post later
However, he delated the post from his X account later on Sunday. Just days earlier, the Norwegian had sparked controversy by calling Gukesh 'one of the presumably weaker players' in the field, a comment that raised eyebrows considering the Indian teenager had recently defeated him in classical format at Norway Chess. Gukesh responded the best way possible: with his second consecutive win over Carlsen, this time with Black in rapid, a calm and clinical performance that pushed him to the top of the table.At that point, Gukesh looked like the man to beat. He stormed through the rapid stage with six wins, including victories over elite names like Carlsen and Wesley So, to finish clear at the top with 10 points. He held a three-point lead heading into the blitz and looked poised to make history.CARLSEN ROARS, GUKESH CRUMBLES IN BLITZBut the blitz portion brought a complete reversal of fortunes. Gukesh lost five of his first six blitz games on Day 1, drawing one and winning just one. His rhythm was off, nerves visible, and the crisp precision of his rapid games nowhere to be found. A final-round loss to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa capped a disappointing blitz performance that saw him lose six games on the first day alone.In stark contrast, Carlsen unleashed what he later called a 'decisive' run, scoring 7.5/9 on the opening blitz day to erase Gukesh's lead and seize control of the leaderboard.'From the morning, I felt this would be a tough day,' Carlsen said afterward. 'It was a very strong field but I'm happy to come out on top.'His second day of blitz wasn't as dominant, but his early lead gave him the cushion to close out the tournament without alarm.advertisementThis win marks Carlsen's sixth successive Rapid & Blitz title on the Grand Chess Tour, reinforcing his stranglehold on faster formats. While Gukesh has proven he belongs at the top, and his rapid triumphs over Carlsen cannot be ignored, the blitz segment exposed a gap in consistency, one the young Indian will no doubt look to close as he matures.Gukesh, for his part, leaves Croatia with a bronze medal and the satisfaction of having beaten the sport's biggest name yet again. But for now, Carlsen's redemption arc is complete and the king of blitz remains firmly on his throne.- Ends
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