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Magnus Carlsen slams table in frustration after losing to D Gukesh, skips media duties | Watch

Magnus Carlsen found it tough to accept his first classical defeat to India's D Gukesh, slamming the table with his fist after resigning and later skipping media duties.

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Magnus Carlsen slammed table in frustration after losing to D Gukesh. Images: Norway Chess
Magnus Carlsen slammed table in frustration after losing to D Gukesh. Images: Norway Chess
FP Sports Desk|Jun 02, 2025, 09:06:13 IST

World No.1 Magnus Carlsen could not hold onto his frustration as he slammed the table immediately after losing to world champion D Gukesh for the first time in a classical match on Sunday. The 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster Gukesh scripted history by stunning Carlsen during the endgame time scramble as he kept finding the best defensive moves before Carlsen finally blundered and was later forced to resign.

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Carlsen had defeated Gukesh only last week at the Norway Chess 2025. However, even more stunning was Carlsen's celebration as he went on to share a social media post that read, “You come at the king, you best not miss.”

The 34-year-old Norwegian and five-time world champion was trying to stamp his authority as the sole 'king' in the world of chess, but the tables were turned very quickly, after only one week, and at the same tournament as Gukesh had the better of Carlsen despite looking like the one heading towards a defeat.

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Carlsen slams table after losing to Gukesh

The best part of Gukesh's game on Sunday was his composure, as despite being pushed into a corner, he kept finding the best moves and stayed alive in the game till the very end. Eventually, during the endgame time scramble, Carlsen committed the biggest blunder, playing 52...Ne2+??, which allowed Gukesh to clinch the lead as the world No.1 was forced to resign.

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Carlsen's frustration was visible by the fact that he slammed his fist on the table immediately after resigning, while Gukesh turned emotional, taking a few moments to realise what had just happened. Carlsen, though, also congratulated Gukesh multiple times by extending handshakes and patting him on the back. But it must have been difficult for him to accept the defeat, especially after he had criticised Gukesh's World Chess Championship win last year.

Carlsen was so furious with his defeat that he also skipped the post-match media duties and stormed away from the venue after his loss.

“Right now, what means the most to me is that I didn’t lose the game,” Gukesh said after beating Carlsen. “But yes, beating Magnus in any form is special.”

Gukesh has jumped to the second spot in the standings at the Norway Open from the fourth. He now has 8.5 points, one behind joint leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.

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First Published:Jun 02, 2025, 09:06:13 IST
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