Magnus Carlsen bangs table in frustration as Gukesh wins

Dubai: The table shook. Pieces flew. And D Gukesh sat frozen, stunned not just by his win over Magnus Carlsen — but by how it ended.

The teenage world champion had just pulled off a miraculous comeback against the former world No 1 in Stavanger. But it was Carlsen’s table-thumping reaction that left an almost surreal mark on the moment — as Gukesh, barely believing what had happened, quietly absorbed his first-ever classical win against the chess icon.

In round six of the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, Carlsen had the upper hand for most of the game. But a late slip allowed Gukesh to turn the tables in a match he later admitted he should have lost.

“99 out of 100 times I would lose,” he said. “But it was just a lucky day.”

The 19-year-old’s resilience was rewarded with a famous win — his first in classical format against Carlsen — making him only the second Indian to beat the Norwegian at this tournament, after Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

Moments after the loss, Carlsen showed his frustration by banging the table, sending some pieces tumbling to the floor. The incident was caught on camera and shared on the official Norway Chess social media accounts.

Despite the outburst, Carlsen shook Gukesh’s hand and gave him a pat on the back as the Indian star, processing the magnitude of his win.

Speaking to Chess.com after the match, Gukesh took the outburst in good humour: “I mean, [it was] not the way I wanted it to be, but okay, I will take it.”

“I have also banged a lot of tables in my career.”

Gukesh’s coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, praised the teenager’s never-give-up spirit and tactical presence of mind even in a dire position.

“We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and his resourcefulness,” he told Chess.com.

“I think he was aware that he was dead lost for so long, yet he kept kicking… and the more the time went lower, the more chances he had. I don’t think he intended to win that, but I’m sure he’s happy.”

The result was all the more dramatic considering their previous encounter in round one. On May 27, Carlsen had returned to classical chess after nearly a year and defeated Gukesh in their first official match since the Indian claimed the world title.

That game saw Carlsen at his clinical best, launching a classic king hunt. But in round six, it was Gukesh who turned the tables — literally and figuratively.

With the win, Gukesh now sits third in the Norway Chess 2025 standings with 8.5 points, just one behind co-leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.

- With inputs from ANI