In a stunning and historic clash at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, reigning World Chess Champion D Gukesh of India pulled off a sensational comeback victory against former five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen in Round 6. The match, held on Sunday, saw Gukesh overturn a losing position to claim his first-ever classical win over the Norwegian legend.
The stunning result made Gukesh only the second Indian player, after Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa, to defeat Carlsen in the history of Norway Chess.
Despite the triumph, Gukesh remained modest and even critical of his performance, acknowledging the fortune that accompanied his win. “99 out of 100 times I would lose,” said the 19-year-old prodigy. “But it was just a lucky day.”
“99 out of 100 times I would lose.
Just a lucky day” – Gukesh after beating World No.1 player Magnus Carlsen!If humility was a sport, Gukesh would be the youngest undisputed World Champion there too! pic.twitter.com/nvbdAQbq2N
— Alpaca Girl🇮🇳 (@Alpakanya) June 1, 2025
Following the game, a visibly frustrated Carlsen reacted by banging the table in front of him, causing pieces to scatter onto the floor—a moment captured in a video posted on the official X (formerly Twitter) handle of Norway Chess. Nonetheless, Carlsen maintained sportsmanship, shaking Gukesh’s hand and patting him on the back as the young Indian tried to compose himself emotionally.
Carlsen, still ranked number one by FIDE, later reflected on the loss with candor and respect for his opponent. “I remember being that age and sometimes your energy and optimism is bigger than your move… On a normal day, of course, I win that game, and things look quite different. But what he does well is that he really fights very well. He was there to take his chance; he deserves credit for that. But that’s the kind of chance that I really have to put away; otherwise, I have no chance.”
#WATCH | Stavanger, Norway | “I remember being that age and sometimes your energy and optimism is bigger than your move…On a normal day, of course, I win that game, and things look quite different. But what he does well is that he really fights very well. He was there to take… pic.twitter.com/XRai7Aro48
— ANI (@ANI) June 3, 2025
Gukesh, reacting to Carlsen’s outburst, showed maturity and understanding. “I have also banged a lot of tables in my career,” he said, taking the incident in a sporting spirit.
The day wasn’t a total loss for Carlsen, who bounced back with a win against American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura. “Not a very memorable day, but at least managed to get something out of the day,” he remarked after the victory.
