Watch: Magnus Carlsen slams table after loss to India’s Arjun Erigaisi

Dubai: India’s Arjun Erigaisi produced a major upset by defeating reigning champion Magnus Carlsen in a tense ninth-round blitz game at the Fide World Blitz Championship 2025 in Doha, a result that shook the standings and ignited widespread debate online.

Carlsen succumbed under heavy time pressure and appeared visibly frustrated, accidentally knocking his queen off the table as he rushed to hit the clock. Moments later, the former world champion struck the table in anger — a reaction that quickly spread across social media.

It marked the second such flashpoint for Carlsen in 2025. Earlier in June at the Norway Chess tournament, he blundered a winning position against D Gukesh in severe time trouble during Round 6, handing the Indian teenager his first-ever classical victory over the world No. 1.

While Erigaisi’s performances drew widespread acclaim, Carlsen’s outburst became a talking point among fans. Opinion online was split — some criticised the reaction as unsportsmanlike, while others defended it as an understandable release under the intense pressure of elite-level blitz chess.