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Independent Singapore
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
'I don't completely understand' — Frustrated Magnus Carlsen slams table after shocking defeat to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju
Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen angrily slammed his fist on the table out of frustration following a shocking loss to reigning classical world champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the 2025 Norway Chess tournament. Carlsen, known for his composure, showed the intensity of the moment through his shocking gesture, and commentators now called this event one of the biggest turnarounds of the year. The 19-year-old Gukesh seized the opportunity of Carlsen's rare mistake and secured a dominant win of 3-0. This impressive win marks Gukesh's first-ever classical win over the widely known chess star, adding a major milestone in the young Indian grandmaster's rising career. In a social media post made by Norway Chess, it shared the exact moment when Gukesh had beaten Carlsen and stated: 'What just happened? 😱🫣' Some netizens commented on the post and expressed their support towards Gukesh: 'From becoming the youngest World Champion ever to now taking down Carlsen in a classical match — Gukesh continues to redefine what's possible', 'Gukesh we are proud of you 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳', and 'Snatched the win out of Magnus 's hand 🔥🔥🔥' More netizens expressed their reaction to Carlsen's gesture. One commented: 'If you cannot regulate emotions when defeated, you should either not play or train yourself better. You cannot sour the your opponent's win like this. This is an internation game between very talented players, not some toddler competition. Gukesh was very graceful but you can see him flinch when the other player banged the table. Not okay at all', and ' After the game, Carlsen admitted that he was confused by his opponent's tactics. He expressed: 'I don't completely understand what (Gukesh's) concept is here. It seems to me that I just have excellent play.' Moreover, this was a big moment for Gukesh, who made his name known as the youngest world chess champion in history. Gukesh stated: '99 out of 100 times, I would lose. Just a lucky day!' He added: 'First classical win against Magnus, I mean, not the way I wanted it to be, but OK, I'll take it.' See also Marc Tay, Singapore's first Sportsboy, dies at 63 Despite his loss, Carlsen remains at the top of the Norway Chess standings, while Gukesh has climbed to the third spot. The Norway Chess tournament offers an estimated total prize money of $148,000, with mostly $62,000 awarded to the winner. On processing his emotions quickly According to Gukesh's coach, Grzegorz Gajewski, the young athlete's ability to process emotions quickly helps him handle new challenges. The Polish coach remarked: 'One of the main things that we wanted to focus on here was to just be fully committed and fully present, fully focused on every game, regardless of the results… He actually started the tournament with two losses, and it did not discourage him from fighting, and he didn't lose his spirit or anything like that. So, that's a very big success in terms of how the (previous) tournament ended,' 'We enjoy the good wins and we enjoy the points, but we try to move on and focus on the next games,' he added.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Magnus Carlsen slams table in frustration after shock loss to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in ‘turnaround of the year'
Magnus Carlsen (left) suffered a surprise loss to Gukesh Dommaraju (right) at the Norway Chess tournament. (Carina Johansen/NTB/AP via CNN Newsource) Magnus Carlsen slammed his fist on the table in frustration after suffering a shock loss to defending classical chess world champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the 2025 Norway Chess tournament on Sunday. Nineteen-year-old Gukesh pounced on a rare mistake from Carlsen at Finansparken in Stavanger, Norway, to seal the 3-0 victory and secure his first classical victory over the five-time world champion. When Carlsen was forced to concede, the 34-year-old slammed his hand on the table in a surprise burst of emotion before shaking Gukesh's hand and leaving the venue quickly, skipping his media duties. The outburst caused a stunned reaction from the commentators with Carlsen usually known for his calm demeanor. Carlsen admitted afterwards that he was left confused by his Indian opponent's tactics. 'I don't completely understand what (Gukesh's) concept is here. It seems to me that I just have excellent play,' Carlsen said afterwards. For Gukesh, who became the youngest-ever world chess champion last year, it was a momentous victory and one which he didn't think would come. '99 out of 100 times, I would lose. Just a lucky day!' Gukesh said afterwards. 'First classical win against Magnus, I mean, not the way I wanted it to be, but OK, I'll take it.' British grandmaster David Howell called Gukesh's victory the 'turnaround of the year' given the nature of the comeback. He also praised the end of the game too. 'Focus. Brilliance. Raw passion, anger, shock. Elation. Sportsmanship. This moment had it all,' Howell wrote on X. Carlsen still remains atop the Norway Chess standings despite the loss with four rounds of games left to play, with Gukesh moving up to third. The tournament has a total prize fund of approximately $148,000, with the winner taking home almost $62,000.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Magnus Carlsen slams table after shock loss to Gukesh Dommaraju in Norway
World champion Gukesh Dommaraju earned his first classical victory over Magnus Carlsen on Sunday at the Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger, toppling the longtime world No 1 in dramatic fashion and prompting the Norwegian to punch the table in frustration before storming out of the venue. The win in round six of the double round-robin event marked a milestone moment in Gukesh's young career, not for its stakes but for who it came against. Under pressure for much of the contest, the 19-year-old Indian grandmaster turned the tables in the final phase, capitalizing on a rare Carlsen blunder in time trouble to steal the point and shake up the standings in Stavanger. 'Right now, what means the most to me is that I didn't lose the game,' Gukesh said after the game. 'But yes, beating Magnus in any form is special.' Magnus Carlsen punches the table in frustration after losing to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju for the first time in a classical game at #NorwayChess today. Carlsen had outplayed Gukesh with ease in their first-round meeting and looked poised to do so again, pressing from a superior position through the middlegame. But with both players operating on a 10-second increment, Carlsen faltered ( Gukesh defended doggedly and pounced when the Norwegian miscalculated, flipping the position with a precise counterattack. The 34-year-old resigned shortly after then slammed his fist on the table, sending pieces rattling. It was an uncharacteristic display from the typically composed five-time world champion, who then left the hall immediately and skipped all media duties. This article includes content hosted on We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as the provider may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click 'Allow and continue'. 'Well, we could say it was lucky,' said Gukesh's coach Grzegorz Gajewski. 'But we have to give a lot of credit to Guki for his stubbornness and for his resourcefulness.' The result not only evened their head-to-head in this tournament but delivered a quiet rebuke to Carlsen's recent criticism of Gukesh's classical performances. After winning their earlier encounter, Carlsen had posted 'You come at the king, you best not miss' on social media, an old Baltimore proverb that seemed to reinforce his aura as the game's enduring alpha. On Sunday, it was the teenager whose aim was true. Gukesh, who became the youngest ever undisputed world champion in December and celebrated his 19th birthday last Thursday, has struggled for consistency since claiming the crown. He came into Sunday's round six with just one win in the tournament. The comeback against Carlsen could prove a needed confidence jolt heading into the closing rounds. The win lifts Gukesh to 8½ points, one behind Carlsen and the American Fabiano Caruana, with four rounds still to play. It also continues a trend of Indian breakthroughs in Stavanger: last year, R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to beat Carlsen in classical play at this event. Now Gukesh has followed and arguably gone one better.
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
Emirati chess grandmaster Rouda Alserkal
Rouda Essa Alserkal is the UAE's first woman grandmaster and aims to clinch the main Grandmaster title soon
The National
28-05-2025
- General
- The National
UAE chess prodigy Rouda Essa Alserkal, 15, dreams of becoming Grandmaster
Not many can claim to have gained international recognition and success at the age of 15. Rouda Essa Alserkal is one of them. The chess prodigy grabbed headlines late last year as she became the first Emirati woman grandmaster following success at the Arab Women's Championship in Sharjah. The Grade 10 student at Al Mawaheb School, Abu Dhabi, thus entered the big leagues, having started the journey at age four. Her rise in the world of chess has now taken her to the prestigious Norway Chess Open, which opened on Monday and runs until this weekend. Rouda is representing the UAE in the tournament, competing alongside stars of the game such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and new world champion Gukesh. All of this has happened rather quickly for the teenager. Rouda said it took her some time to come to terms with becoming a woman grandmaster. 'It was in November. I was very shocked. It was still round eight and they told me if I win the round I will immediately get first place. And that I was going to become a woman grandmaster. It was very stressful. These things take a lot of time to sink in. But now, I feel very proud of myself,' Rouda told The National. Rouda began playing with her father, Essa Alserkal, and other family members. She was soon enrolled in the Abu Dhabi Chess Club. By the time she was five, she began to show serious talent for chess. Her list of wins includes the U20 UAE Championship, the 2017 World Cadets Championship, and many more. 'I started chess at four years old. We had a chess board at home. I used to play all the time with my mum, sisters, with my dad. When I joined Abu Dhabi Chess Club, a couple of months later, I won the Asian championship. 'I started taking chess more seriously when I won the world [cadets] championship in 2017. This is when I started to train more and have higher goals and ambition.' Rouda is only the second grandmaster from UAE after Salem Abdulrahman. The Abu Dhabi resident is proud of what she has achieved, and hopes more women take up the game. 'The chess scene in the UAE is growing fast. There is a lot of support right now, especially for young players. For women, there is a lot of improvement but it could be better. Me becoming the first women grandmaster in the UAE shows that anything is possible and I hope it opens more doors for young girls.' Her work is not done yet, though. Rouda's next target is clinching the main Grandmaster title; she is currently a woman grandmaster which has a lower ratings threshold. The requirements for the main GM title are a lot harder. Rouda currently has a little over 2,100 points in her rankings and needs to rise to 2,500 to gain the overall GM title. The task will only get tougher from here on as she will need to compete at bigger tournaments against better players to improve her standing. 'This means I have to work harder, keep up the grind. Inshallah, I will increase my ratings soon. It will be more difficult now,' she admitted. While Rouda has her task cut out, managing high-stakes chess with the pressures of studies – which she admits has become a lot more difficult now – she is clear about what she wants to achieve on the chess board and in her life. 'My biggest goal is to achieve the Grandmaster title, not just the woman grandmaster title. Hopefully reach 2,500 ratings. And in future, I want to become a lawyer. And if everything works out, I will be a good lawyer hopefully.' For now, her focus is on the Norway Open. The difficulty of the task facing her became clear right away in her opening match on Monday as Rouda struggled against Ukrainian GM Platon Galperin. 'It is sad to not start with a win,' Rouda said in a statement. 'But it was also incredibly valuable. Playing at this level is intense, and I know I'll grow from this.'
