'I've also banged a lot of tables': Gukesh reacts to Carlsen’s Norway Chess meltdown

India’s teenage chess sensation and reigning World Champion D Gukesh on Sunday stunned former world number one Magnus Carlsen in Round 6 of the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, pulling off a remarkable win from a losing position. The dramatic result marked Gukesh’s first-ever classical victory over the Norwegian grandmaster and made him only the second Indian to beat Carlsen at the elite tournament, after R Praggnanandhaa.

The match, saw Carlsen dominate for most of the game before Gukesh turned the tables in the final moments. The emotional aftermath included a rare public display of frustration from Carlsen, who banged the table forcefully, causing some pieces to scatter, as captured in a video shared by the official X handle of Norway Chess. He, however, composed himself enough to shake Gukesh’s hand and pat him on the back.



Reacting to the moment, Gukesh remained gracious despite the high stakes and the historic win. "I mean, [it was] not the way I wanted it to be, but okay, I will take it," he said, as quoted by Chess.com. Referring to Carlsen’s visible frustration, Gukesh added with a smile, “I have also banged a lot of tables in my career.”

Still processing the turnaround, the 19-year-old admitted he had been on the verge of defeat. “99 out of 100 times I would lose, but it was just a lucky day,” he said.

With this win, Gukesh moved up to third place on the tournament leaderboard with 8.5 points — just one behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, who are tied at the top.

Also Read: Watch Video: Magnus Carlsen punches table after shock defeat to Gukesh

The encounter carried extra weight as it was the first time the two faced off in a classical format since Gukesh’s World Championship triumph. The teenager had lost to Carlsen in the opening round on May 27, when the Norwegian launched a vintage king-side assault to claim victory.

Gukesh’s coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, praised his student’s grit and never-say-die attitude. “We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and his resourcefulness because I think he was aware that he was dead lost for so long, yet he kept kicking, he kept kicking, and the time went lower, the more chances he had to actually do something with the position. I do not think he intended to win that, but I am sure he is happy,” he said.

With inputs from PTI