'Would have stayed quiet for Gukesh as well': Magnus Carlsen fires another shot at world champion

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen has won the first-ever Chess Esports World Cup, defeating Alireza Firouzja by winning the final three games in the Grand Final. Carlsen not only walked away with the $250,000 prize money, but also helped Team Liquid take a lead in the overall team championship.

In the third-place match, GM Hikaru Nakamura beat GM Arjun Erigaisi 3.5-2.5 in a thrilling contest. While Carlsen’s win was a big moment, his rivalry with Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh is what’s grabbing headlines again.

At the Esports World Cup, Carlsen took another dig at world champion D Gukesh during a fun challenge. He was asked to stay silent until he heard the name of a player better than him. He didn’t react to names like Bobby Fischer, but finally spoke when Garry Kasparov was mentioned.

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Carlsen's jibe at Gukesh

Later, when the clip was shared on Instagram, Carlsen commented, “Would have stayed quiet for Gukesh as well.” The comment was clearly a jibe at Gukesh and has sparked reactions online.

This isn’t the first time things have heated up between the two. Earlier this year at Norway Chess, Gukesh beat Carlsen in one of the rounds. The loss frustrated Carlsen so much that he slammed the table, and the video quickly went viral. Although Gukesh had beaten Carlsen in that round, the five-time world champion had the last laugh by winning the title.

Carlsen later said Gukesh still isn’t at his level and also called him a “weaker opponent” before the start of the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz tournament. Gukesh defeated Carlsen once again and finished on top in the rapid section of the tournament. However, Carlsen bounced back brilliantly to claim the main title in the end.

Carlsen has once again shown why he is considered the best in the world by winning the inaugural chess event at the Esports World Cup.