Magnus Carlsen Slams Fist on Table After Shocking Defeat at Norway Chess 2025

In a stunning turn of events at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, world No. 1 chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen suffered a rare defeat against fourth-ranked Gukesh Dommaraju on Sunday. The match, which had spectators on the edge of their seats, ended with Carlsen slamming his fist on the table in frustration before offering a handshake to his opponent and storming off.

Dommaraju, visibly shocked by his own victory, described the win as a stroke of luck, admitting to Chess.com that he felt 99 out of 100 times he would have lost to Carlsen. 'I’ll take it, even if it wasn’t the way I wanted,' he said with a humble shrug. He also brushed off Carlsen’s dramatic reaction, noting that he’s banged plenty of tables himself over the years.

Carlsen, whose classical chess rating stands at an impressive 2837 compared to Dommaraju’s 2776, entered the tournament as the undisputed favorite. However, this upset has highlighted the unpredictable nature of the game, even for a titan like Carlsen. Reflecting on the loss, he contrasted the pain of defeat in classical chess with the lighter spirit of freestyle chess, hinting at a deeper frustration with the traditional format. 'Losses hurt no matter what, but at least losing while doing something you enjoy is easier,' he remarked.

The following day, Carlsen managed a draw against Hikaru Nakamura, but his comments suggested a lingering discontent with classical play. As he looks ahead to the final games of the tournament, the chess world watches to see if this setback will fuel a fiery comeback or signal a shift in focus for the grandmaster.