3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘I laughed for 10 minutes': D Gukesh reacts to Magnus Carlsen's viral table slam memes and picks his favourite
A dramatic moment from the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament has gone viral, but not for the moves on the chess board. It's Magnus Carlsen's frustrated table slam after losing to D Gukesh that has taken social media by storm, sparking a meme-fest unlike anything the chess world has seen in years.
The incident occurred during round six of the Candidates, where Gukesh, then just 17, pulled off a stunning win against the five-time world champion. The loss rattled Carlsen enough to prompt a rare public show of emotion: as he walked away from the board, he slammed the table in frustration. That single gesture, caught on camera, became meme gold.
Since then, the clip has been edited into dozens of reels, with internet users adding everything from dramatic music to jump-scare effects. But it's one meme in particular that has Gukesh laughing the most.
In a recent interview, the teenage grandmaster was shown a viral edit where a calm, unbothered cat sits on a table, until Carlsen's slam jolts it into a panic. Gukesh couldn't contain his laughter. 'I was laughing for like 10 minutes,' he said, still grinning as he recalled the meme.
The video of Gukesh reacting to these edits was shared by ChessBase India on Instagram, captioned, 'Gukesh reacts to the Viral Reel Trends.' It's already racked up over 1.4 million views and 171K likes.
A post shared by ChessBase India (@chessbaseindia)
The Internet couldn't get enough of the clip, and fans flooded the comments section with their own takes. One user wrote, 'My feed is still full of those memes.'
Another one wrote, 'omg I'm so glad we memed chess.' One user said, 'We should get Magnus also.' A fourth user wrote, 'My whole feed is blessed with this meme.'
Carlsen, for his part, admitted the loss stung. He had control of the game mid-way through round six but eventually slipped. 'It definitely wasn't my finest hour, but I regret the moves I made more than the gesture,' he said post-match.
Gukesh Dommaraju continues to make history as a chess phenomenon. The Indian grandmaster is now the reigning World Chess Champion, having become the youngest undisputed champion and the youngest player ever to surpass a FIDE rating of 2750, achieving the feat at just 17. He's also the third-youngest to cross 2700 Elo at age 16.
