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Hindustan Times
27 minutes ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
The importance of Gukesh's first win over Carlsen
Stavanger, Norway: Endings in chess are defined by handshakes. Here, the fists had taken over. Magnus Carlsen banged his right fist on the table holding the board. Such was the fury that it shook the remaining pieces to stumbling submission. Moments later, D Gukesh walked out of the playing area and delivered a double first bump to his waiting coach. Such was the force that Grzegorz Gajewski felt an unprecedented blow. 'Not that hard,' Gajewski said when asked if Gukesh had ever given him a fist bump so hard. 'I mean, he had his reason.' The reason was that Gukesh, the 19-year-old reigning world champion, had beaten Carlsen, the 34-year-old world No.1, for the first time ever in classical chess in Round 6 of the Norway Chess here on Sunday. It featured a spectacular meltdown after a typical Magnus Masterclass. It featured every expert's prediction here of another Carlsen win over Gukesh during the course of the game being thrown out of the window in the end. It featured an eye-popping late blunder and a mind-boggling burst of emotion. The Norwegian's incredible physical reaction, which also slightly shook the Indian teen seated across, was immediately backed up by a 'sorry'. 'Oh my God!' Carlsen yelled while getting up and flapping his right arm. Another 'sorry' followed, and then a tap on his opponent's back before sprinting out of the venue without, for the first time in this tournament, stopping for anybody or anything. Gukesh, usually stoic, was left stunned. He got up from his chair and began walking, the right hand covering his mouth and eventually the entire face. After walking back and forth for several seconds, he stood still, head down, both hands on the hip as the spectators broke the tension for an applause. This was your world champion — coming out all grit from a gruelling marathon in which he appeared to be faltering for most part until, somehow, fighting and flinging to the finish line. '99 out of 100 times, I would lose,' Gukesh told TV2, the official broadcaster. 'Just a lucky day.' 'Well, we could say it was lucky,' Gajewski told a group of journalists. 'But we have to give a lot of credit to Guki for his stubbornness and for his resourcefulness.' Gukesh had succumbed to blundering in time pressure in their first meeting at the opening round of the tournament. Five days later playing with white pieces, the Indian was served a clinical Carlsen show that had him staring down the barrel right into the endgame. Carlsen was expected to close it out but, in a time scramble, it was his turn to unravel this time. Carlsen's 44...f6 brought the game back in balance, before Gukesh's and Carlsen's Ne2+ overturned it drastically and dramatically. In her post on X, chess legend Susan Polgar called it the 'biggest shock of the year' and 'one of the most painful losses' of Carlsen's career. 'He (Gukesh) was lost for so long. Yet he kept kicking and kicking and the lower the time went, the more chances he had to actually do something,' Gajewski said. 'I don't think his intention was to win it, but he actually did.' Even as the emotions settled, Gukesh still couldn't fathom what had happened and how exactly he had pulled it off. A significant barrier, however, had certainly been pushed. 'First classical win over Magnus,' Gukesh told TV2. 'Not the way I expected (or) wanted it to be, but I will take it.' More so given the context and timing. The Indian's world title high of last December had come with a floating asterix of the five-time world champion missing in action and Gukesh having never beaten Carlsen in the classical form. It carried into the Norway Chess where the Indian lost to Carlsen early and, in an extension of his quiet form since wearing the world champion tag, had just one classical win coming into the reverse rounds. 'It just gives a huge bump of confidence,' Gajewski said of why this win matters, no matter how. 'Because once you've done it, you know you can do it again. And that's the plan.' This is the second time an Indian has beaten Carlsen in consecutive years at Norway Chess. Last year R Praggnanandhaa had defeated the eventual champion, also for the first time in classical chess. Gukesh has followed suit. It comes as a shot in the arm for the bewildered but bolstered world champion. And with a double fist bump.
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First Post
34 minutes ago
- Sport
- First Post
Stunning defeat against Gukesh makes Carlsen question future in Classical chess: 'Will have to make some decisions'
Reigning world champion D Gukesh defeated world No 1 Magnus Carlsen in their sixth-round meeting at Norway Chess on Sunday, with the Indian Grandmaster prevailing in 62 moves. The defeat made Carlsen rethink about his future in Classical chess, a format he has been highly critical of in recent months. read more Defending champion and world No 1 Magnus Carlsen in action against D Gukesh in Round 6 of the 2025 Norway Chess in Stavanger, Norway. Image credit: Michal Walusza/Norway Chess Magnus Carlsen made headlines on Sunday, albeit for the wrong reasons, with the world's top-ranked player reacting angrily after losing to reigning world champion D Gukesh in Round 6 of Norway Chess. Carlsen, who is the defending champion in the tournament, resigned in 62 moves with half-a-minute left on the clock. And he slammed his fist on the table the moment he got to know that it was over for him, much to the surprise of his opponent and those who present at the hall where the game was happening. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 34-year-old Norwegian Grandmaster has been critical of world governing body FIDE as well as the Classical format for months now, while promoting Freestyle Chess – a fancier term for the unpredictable Chess960 format – as well as the ongoing Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour that has successfully hosted two events so far. Carlsen reignites discussions on his future in Classical chess And a day after suffering the first defeat of his career against Gukesh, Carlsen reignited discussions on bidding the Standard format goodbye after the conclusion of the ongoing tournament. 'I think I'll play the last three games (in Norway Chess), and then I will have to make some decisions about next year here or potential other tournaments later, because, yeah… I just don't enjoy (Classical chess) that much,' Carlsen told Norwegian television channel TV2 after playing out a draw against Hikaru Nakamura in Round 7 and defeating the American GM in the subsequent Armageddon playoff. 'It's possible, yeah. I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm not going to play Classical events ever again, but right now it doesn't. 'The thing is that, you know, losses are painful no matter what, but at least if I can lose doing something that I really enjoy (Blitz, Rapid or Freestyle), then that's much easier,' Carlsen, a five-time Classical world champion, added. Also Read | Gukesh doesn't miss while coming at 'King' Carlsen, justifies the 'world champion' tag STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In a separate conversation with Take Take Take, Carlsen heaped praise on Gukesh for his fighting ability, which he exhibited in his dramatic victory on Sunday as well as in his victory over China's Ding Liren in their World Championship showdown in December. 'What he (Gukesh) does well, as I alluded to, is he really fights very, very well, and he was there to take his chance, so he deserves credit for that. 'But that's the kind of chance that I really, really have to put away. Otherwise, I have no chance,' Carlsen said. Carlsen had defeated Gukesh multiple times this year, from their meetings in the Weissenhaus and Paris legs of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour to the opening round of the ongoing tournament – which was the first time the Indian GM had come face to face with the Norwegian since he was crowned the youngest chess world champion in December. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Also Read | Gukesh left 'shaken' by first-ever classical win over world No.1 Carlsen: 'Just a lucky day Carlsen looked like he would complete a double against Gukesh in their second meeting on Sunday – in which the latter was playing as white. However, Gukesh, who celebrated his 19th birthday last week, managed to turn the tables and put Carlsen under pressure with his never-say-die attitude. Gukesh would go on to collect back-to-back victories by defeating compatriot Arjun Erigaisi on Monday, once again while playing with white pieces. Arjun, however, put up a more inspired fight, dragging the game past the 90-move mark despite committing a couple of blunders along the way, making his opponent fight tooth and nail for the full three points. Gukesh prevailed in the end and ended up avening his defeats against Carlsen and Arjun in the first two rounds of the tournament. The wins have helped him surge past Carlsen to the second spot in the standings with 11.5 – trailing current leader Fabiano Caruana by a full point with three rounds to go. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Carlsen says Gukesh's fighting qualities earned him the win
A day after his stunning defeat to D Gukesh in Norway Chess, Magnus Carlsen said the reigning world champion's 'energy' and 'fighting qualities' earned him the triumph and that on a 'normal day' he would have won the contest. Carlsen, 34, lost to 19-year-old Gukesh in Round 6, vented his frustration by banging his fist on the table which threw the pieces in disarray. Disbelief and frustration writ large on his face as he shook hands with Gukesh before placing the pieces back on the board and walked away patting the winner. 'I think, like, I remember being that age myself, and sometimes kind of your energy, like fighting qualities, and just the optimism is sometimes, you know, bigger than the quality of your moves,' said Carlsen here on Monday. But the Norwegian was far more composed after winning the Armageddon tie-break against American World No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura but the effects of Sunday night were still clearly visible on his face. 'So, I think, for a long time he (Gukesh) was just more or less blindly pushing. And then, yeah, on a normal day, of course, I win that game, and things look quite differently,' the five-time world champion added. ALSO READ | Gukesh on beating Magnus Carlsen: 99 out of 100 times, I would have lost Carlsen, however, praised Gukesh's fighting qualities, saying the Indian was always game for grabbing his chances, which he did despite being in a disadvantageous situation for most part of the Round 6 game. 'What he (Gukesh) does well, as I alluded to, is he really fights very, very well, and he was there to take his chance, so he deserves credit for that. 'But that's the kind of chance that I really, really have to put away. Otherwise, I have no chance,' the Norwegian world No.1 opined. Carlsen also indicated that he just might be having a re-think on playing the Norway Chess next season. 'I think I'll play the last three games (in Norway Chess), and then I will have to make some decisions about next year here or potential other tournaments later, because, yeah... I just don't enjoy (Classical chess) that much,' said Carlsen. ALSO READ | Magnus not retiring anytime soon; Indians pose growing challenge: Henrik Carlsen He also hinted that Classical chess for him might be on its way out. 'It's possible, yeah. I'm not going to sit here and say that I'm not going to play Classical events ever again, but right now it doesn't,' said Carlsen, when asked if he was thinking about the possibility of concentrating on Freestyle or blitz chess in future. 'The thing is that, you know, losses are painful no matter what, but at least if I can lose doing something that I really enjoy (Blitz, Rapid or Freestyle), then that's much easier. 'It's not that I cannot play (Classical chess), it's just situations like yesterday (loss to Gukesh)… I'm just wondering, like, why am I doing this? What's the point? 'But I will do my best in the last three games here, then we'll see, I suppose. I guess there's a lot of pain being a top sportsman,' he added. 'I would have loved for the situation in the tournament to be different, but I had no desire whatsoever to play classical today,' he noted. Carlsen and Nakamura agreed to a quick 21-move draw in Round 7 to play Armageddon tie-break, where the Norwegian won hands down. 'So, winning the Armageddon was kind of the best scenario for me, and I managed to do that, so I'm happy. 'There were many tempting options (in Armageddon), but then all of a sudden I discovered that move. It may have been played before, but I didn't know for sure,' added Carlsen. On paying more attention to golf, his second passion, Carlsen said, 'Yeah, I mean, honestly, it's good to do something to get my mind off of the games, and when the games start at 5pm (in Norway Chess), then I have some time to both do that and get some lunch with my wife and everything. So, that's nice,' Carlsen signed off.
Indian Express
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Magnus Carlsen: ‘Maybe I should totally stop playing classical chess'
Is the world seeing the last of Magnus Carlsen playing in the classical format at the ongoing Norway Chess? The world no 1, who won five world chess championships before abdicating the throne in 2023, told Norway's TV2 in an interview at Stavanger before his round 7 clash with Hikaru Nakamura that classical chess was not 'fun at all' for him and then mentioned that he should 'maybe totally stop playing classical chess.' Carlsen had cut a frustrated figure after losing for the first time in classical chess against Gukesh Dommaraju, the reigning world champion, on Sunday. He had banged his fist on the board and let out an exasperated sigh: 'Oh my God.' Talking about playing classical chess, Carlsen said: 'I don't think that (the game against Gukesh, not the incident) was fun. I have to consider how to avoid it… maybe I should totally stop playing classical chess. It was not fun for me at all. In general I feel I have played well in the tournament but I don't feel it is fun playing. I am not worried about my level.' Then, as if to prove his point, Carlsen played out a draw in 20 moves with Nakamura with a threefold repetition on the board. When the draw happened, Nakamura had one hour and 24 minutes on the clock while Carlsen had an hour and 48 minutes. The duo then played in an Armageddon clash to figure out the winner of the contest. There, he took Nakamura down in just 40 moves. Nakamura, meanwhile, told TV2 after the classical draw: 'There is a 20 percent chance that you have seen the last classical game between Magnus and me.' After his takedown of the American Nakamura, Carlsen spoke to the Take Take Take app, where he elaborated on his quote. 'It's not that I cannot play classical chess. But in situations like yesterday, I was wondering, 'why am I doing this? What's the point?'' Carlsen said that he will do his best in the final three classical games at Norway Chess, and 'then see what he's supposed to do'. After his outburst post the defeat to Gukesh, Carlsen praised the Indian world champion. Talking about the game against Gukesh with ANI, Carlsen said: 'I think I remember being that age myself and something spending your energy, your fighting qualities and your optimism is sometimes bigger than the quality of your moves. For a long time, Gukesh was just blindly pushing. On a normal day, of course, I would win that game. What he does well is that he really fights very, very well. He was there to take his chance. That's the kind of chance that I really have to put away otherwise I have no chance.' Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
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First Post
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Hans Niemann targets Magnus Carlsen after world No 1 loses to D Gukesh at Norway Chess
World No 1 Magnus Carlsen suffered his first defeat at the hands of reigning world champion D Gukesh in Round 6 of the ongoing Norway Chess in Stavanger, Norway. Here's how controversial American Grandmaster Hans Niemann responded to the result. read more Hans Niemann took a potshot at Magnus Carlsen after the world No 1 suffered the first defeat of his career at the hands of reigning world champion D Gukesh. Image: Reuters/Norway Chess Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen have been at loggerheads with one another ever since the former was accused of cheating by the world No 1 at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup in St. Louis, USA. The two have verbally targeted each other since then, their feud intensifying in recent months with Niemann criticising Carlsen for his stance on FIDE, the Classical format among other topics. The latest such instance was on Sunday when Carlsen lost his match against D Gukesh in Round 6 of the ongoing Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger, Norway. Playing with black pieces, Carlsen was in a dominant position against Gukesh and was closing in on back-to-back wins against the reigning world champion, having defeated him in the opening round last week. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gukesh, in his typical never-say-die attitude, fought on despite the mounting pressure, and eventually turned the tide in his favour after inducing a blunder on the defending champion's part, completing a fine victory – his first ever against Carlsen – in 62 moves in the process and moving to the third spot on the 'Open' standings. Niemann reshares Carlsen's pompous social media post While Gukesh chose to remain humble and describe himself as 'lucky' after beating Carlsen, who had banged the table in frustration at the stroke of defeat on Sunday, Niemann couldn't help but remind the Norwegian of his pompous social media post when he had beaten the Indian in 55 moves in the opening round. Carlsen had posted on X an image of a quote from the hit HBO series The Wire which read, 'You come at the King, you best not miss' along with an image of the character Omar Little played by Michael K Williams. In a post on the same microblogging platform formerly known as Twitter shortly after Gukesh's victory, Niemann posted the same image but with emojis of a man shrugging. Niemann has also been in the news recently for of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in April as well as for undergoing a polygraph test after losing an 18-game blitz playoff against Russian GM Daniil Dubov, claiming he had passed on all fronts in the latter after reportedly being quizzed on the sensitive topic of cheating. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
