Magnus Carlsen had to fight 'doubts' to beat Gukesh 'who was up for a fight' at Norway Chess

Magnus Carlsen had to fight doubts before beating world champion D Gukesh in their latest encounter at the Norway Chess 2026 on Thursday as the world No 1 secured his first Classical victory on the ongoing tournament. So far in the last three rounds, Carlsen had suffered two defeats and secured one win via Armageddon.

But five-time world champion Carlsen turned the tables against Gukesh on the eve of the Indian Grandmaster's 20th birthday, winning in 42 moves. Gukesh remained solid in the match during the opening and middlegame with the White pieces, but lost the initiative in the endgame under time pressure.

Gukesh was eventually forced to resign as Carlsen picked up a crucial win after tough three rounds.

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Carlsen relieved after beating Gukesh

In the post-game interview with Take Take Take, Carlsen said that his recent Classical defeats to Alireza Firouzja and R Praggnanandhaa of India had shaken his confidence, and that the victory over world champion Gukesh had come as a big relief.

"It was a huge relief," Carlsen said. "After missing a few chances, you get a little bit of doubt, like what it's going to take for me to get back. Feels really good to get that monkey off the back.

"He was up for a fight today, but so was I."

There's no doubt the victory has come as a big relief for Carlsen, even if he remains the top-ranked chess Grandmaster. Amid his recent poor form, his critics have been constantly questioning him holding onto the world No 1 ranking despite playing only a few tournaments.

Hand Niemann, who in 2022 was accused of cheating by Carlsen, has said that FIDE needs to change its ranking methodology to reward the players who are more active on the circuit.

A few other critics have started to signal that it's the start of the end for Carlsen, but the truth is the Norwegian remains the most consistent player across formats.