No. 1 Chess Master Magnus Carlsen 'got soundly punished' and gets defeated again by world champ Gukesh
No. 1 Chess Master Magnus Carlsen 'got soundly punished' and gets defeated again by world champ Gukesh
Digital Desk: Magnus Carlsen suffered defeat for the second time in two games against world champion Gukesh Dommaraju. A smashing defeat — and eloquent reaction to the loss — in Norway Chess in classical format, Carlsen lost a quick contest at the Super United Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 in Zagreb on Thursday evening.
Carlsen, playing with white pieces, was forced to quit after 49 moves. Carlsen started the game off well, and after 20 moves, he had a considerable advantage on the board. But suddenly the game unraveled.
When asked about the game itself, a disgruntled world number one replied, "It was poor (from me), but all credit to Gukesh. He's performing well and seizing his opportunities. I've played quite terribly during the tournament. This time, I was soundly punished. He took advantage of the opportunity to open the position; after that, it was similar to when I was short on time and couldn't handle it as well. And Gukesh discovered a lot of really good moves."
The Norwegian continued, "Honestly, I'm not enjoying playing chess right now. "I just..." I feel no flow at all. When I'm playing, I'm always hesitant."
Following the defeat, Carlsen told an app, "Gukesh is playing unbelievably well (at this tournament). There's a long way to go in the tournament, but winning five games in a row is no small accomplishment."
