A seething Magnus Carlsen slammed his fist into a table after suffering his first defeat by world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a classical game in Stavanger before the Norwegian wondered why he was still playing standard chess.
On Sunday, Carlsen had his opponent on the ropes for much of the match in the Norway Chess 2025 tournament but his composure cracked under the pressure of a ticking clock and he committed a blunder that handed India’s Gukesh a decisive advantage.
Carlsen slammed his fist on the table after the defeat before exchanging a quick handshake with Gukesh, apologising for his outburst and storming off.
Norway Chess 2025 marks Carlsen’s first appearance in a standard tournament since the Chess Olympiad last September as the 34-year-old has been turning his focus onto Freestyle Chess, having relinquished his world title citing a lack of motivation.
In Chess960/Freestyle chess, the starting position of the pieces on the back rank are reshuffled, meaning computer-backed preparations leading to sometimes dull openings are meaningless.
“Losses are painful no matter what but at least if you can lose doing something you really enjoy it’s easier,” Carlsen said on Monday after a quick draw with world number two Hikaru Nakamura.
“(In Freestyle chess) I don’t have situations like yesterday where I’m just wondering why am I doing this, what’s the point?
“I will do my best in the last three games (here) and then we’ll see I suppose.”
Carlsen’s outburst left Gukesh shell-shocked on Sunday, although the world champion said he also sometimes loses his temper over the board.
“I mean, (the win was) not the way I wanted it to be, but okay, I’ll take it,” Gukesh told Chess.com.
“… I’ve also banged a lot of tables in my career.”
(Reuters)
