Magnus Carlsen after losing to Gukesh: 'Not enjoying playing chess at all'

Chess sensation D Gukesh ends the rapid section on top after defeating Magnus Carlsen.

Whenever Magnus Carlsen faces Gukesh, the drama follows—and this time was no different. In their first meeting since that viral table-smash incident at Norway Chess, Gukesh handed Carlsen another defeat, this time in the rapid section of the SuperUnited Croatia Rapid and Blitz 2025. It’s Gukesh’s fifth straight win in the tournament, making him the sole leader.

Before the event began, Carlsen had made some sharp remarks about Gukesh’s ability in rapid and blitz formats. He pointed out that Gukesh hadn’t proved himself in faster time controls, despite performing decently in Zagreb the previous year.

“Gukesh hasn’t done anything to indicate that he’s going to do well in such a tournament. I’ll sort of approach playing him as one of the presumably weaker players in the tournament.”

Carlsen started with a strong position but couldn’t manage the clock. Gukesh took his chance with the c6 move, opened things up, and never looked back.

“I had a very nice position,” Carlsen said after the game. “But I got short on time and didn’t handle it well. He found a lot of really good moves. I had one last chance to bail out with a draw, but I kept playing — and a few moves later, I was completely lost.”

He didn’t shy away from giving credit, either:

“All credit to Gukesh. He’s playing well and taking his chances. Winning five in a row is no mean feat.”

The loss hit Carlsen harder than usual.. When asked about the upcoming blitz rounds, he said:

“Honestly, I’m not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I don’t feel any flow, I’m constantly hesitating.”

This tournament marks the third leg of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour, featuring a star-studded field like Praggnanandhaa, Alireza Firouzja, Caruana, Wesley So, and Duda. But right now, it’s Gukesh who’s making all the noise.

This was the final day of the rapid section, as the tournament now shifts to blitz starting tomorrow. Gukesh currently leads the standings with 10 points, followed by Polish grandmaster Jan-Krzysztof Duda with 8. Magnus Carlsen sits in fourth place with 6 points.

Earlier in the event, Indian GM Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa held Carlsen to a draw. He ends the Rapid section in 7th place with 5 points.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram