Magnus Carlsen, the top-ranked chess player in the world, was upset by Gukesh Dommaraju, one of the other top-ranked players in the world, at Norway Chess on Sunday. Dommaraju, who just turned 19-years old on Friday, staged a thrilling comeback after Carlsen blundered and left the door open for his young opponent.
Even more shocking than the upset was the fact that Carlsen punched the table while resigning from the match. Dommaraju put on his best poker face as Carlsen then shook his hand and stood up as if he were about to storm off. Instead, Carlsen returned to the table to pick up a couple pieces he had knocked over while Dommaraju walked around in his own state of shock.
As Carlsen walked by Dommaraju a few seconds later he gave him a pat on the back.
OH MY GOD 😳🤯😲 pic.twitter.com/QSbbrvQFkE
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 1, 2025
Carlsen streamed five hours of the tournament on his YouTube channel today and you can hear the commentators react to the moment he made the blunder that swung the match around the 4:13 mark below. Then you can follow along as the announcers freak out as the upset crystalizes before their eyes.
Carlsen also lost to world No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura in an Armageddon game at Norway Chess earlier this week despite holding a winning position well into the contest.
When last we saw Carlsen, he was removed from a tournament because he came from a lunch meeting still wearing jeans that were not up to the dress code standards of the event. Chess rules.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen Slams Table, Knocks Over Pieces During Norway Chess Loss.
