TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former chess world champion Magnus Carlsen slammed the table after losing to reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a classic chess match at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament in Stavanger, Norway, on Monday, 2 June.
The match was tightly contested, with Carlsen initially maintaining control for most of the game. But under constant time pressure, the Norwegian made a critical blunder that allowed Gukesh to turn the game around and claim victory.
This marked Carlsen’s first-ever defeat to Gukesh in a classical format and triggered a rare emotional reaction. Carlsen struck the table with his hand, sending the chess pieces flying.
Despite the outburst, Carlsen quickly shook hands with Gukesh and exited the playing hall with a frustrated look, briefly patting the back of the Indian teenager who had just beaten him.
Gukesh admitted he was caught off guard by the reaction. "I mean, [it was] not the way I wanted it to be, but okay, I'll take it," he said as quoted by Chess.com.
"I've also banged a lot of tables in my career!" added the 19-year-old chess star.
The win further cemented Gukesh’s reputation as a rising force in the chess world. He previously made history by becoming the youngest classical world champion after defeating Ding Liren in the 2024 World Chess Championship.
Carlsen’s loss has also renewed discussions about his commitment to classical chess. In a recent statement, he expressed a stronger passion for Freestyle Chess, or Chess960, a format that randomizes the back-rank piece positions to reduce reliance on computer-aided preparation.
"(In Freestyle chess) I don't have situations like yesterday where I'm just wondering why am I doing this, what's the point?" said the 34-year-old.
Carlsen stepped down from the classical world championship cycle in 2023, citing waning motivation. Since then, he has focused more on Freestyle Chess and had not played a classical tournament since the Chess Olympiad in September last year.
Norway Chess 2025 was among the few elite events that brought together top players including Gukesh, Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Alireza Firouzja. It also marked Carlsen's return to standard chess competition after his extended break.
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