"Graceless": Magnus Carlsen's reaction after losing to Gukesh upsets chess lovers

One wrong move. That’s all it takes to flip a chess match on its head—and on Sunday, it did exactly that. At the Norway Chess tournament, the unthinkable happened. Legendary Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was visibly stunned after a shock loss to 19-year-old Indian prodigy Dommaraju Gukesh. What followed wasn’t just an upset on the board—it was an emotional eruption that left the chess world talking.The moment of shock came swiftly. In a tense endgame, Carlsen blundered—a rare occurrence for the five-time world champion. As the game slipped through his fingers, the usually composed Norwegian didn’t hide his frustration. He struck the board with his fist, scattering the pieces. Standing up, he was heard exclaiming, “OMG.” The room, thick with tension, fell into an awkward silence before breaking into applause—not for Carlsen, but for Gukesh, the young champion who had just pulled off the impossible.Despite his initial reaction, Carlsen showed sportsmanship before leaving the hall. He picked up the fallen pieces, patted Gukesh on the back in congratulations, and exited—refusing to speak to the media and skipping all post-match obligations.Gukesh, for his part, stayed grounded. “Right now, what means the most to me is that I didn’t lose the game,” he said. “But yes, beating Magnus in any form is special.”This wasn’t just any victory. Gukesh’s win evened out their head-to-head score in the tournament and served as a quiet clapback to Carlsen’s earlier dig. After winning their first encounter, Carlsen had posted the now-famous line: “You come at the king, you best not miss.” On Sunday, Gukesh didn’t miss.Playing with the white pieces, the Indian teenager showcased composure under pressure, punishing a rare Carlsen mistake to convert it into a clean, confident win. It was his first classical time-control victory over Carlsen—and that too on Carlsen’s home turf. The win could not have come at a better time: Gukesh had only one win in the tournament until that point and needed a morale boost.But while the chess world applauded the young champion’s grit, Carlsen’s outburst drew criticism. Fans online weren’t impressed with the fist slam and abrupt exit.One user said, “Magnus Carlson was trolling D Gukesh on every platform since he became world champion. Gukesh got one chance and he made the greatest revenge plot in Norway. Ego crushing Defeat for magnus.”Another wrote, “Look at the frustration of Magnus Carlsen. Never seen such a behaviour. Also notice how Gukesh can't believe he defeated Magnus. What a moment for Gukesh! First time defeating Magnus.”A third user, however, pointed out, “I’m not sure why #MagnusCarlsen is receiving hate for his reaction after he lost to #DGukesh? Soon after he accepted his defeat, he can be seen turning back to the table, raising both his palms, apologising for the way he reacted just a few moments ago.”Someone else also wrote, “Magnus Carlsen made a big blunder with his knight at the end of this game after being in a winning position and isn't happy about it. This is Gukesh's first classical win over Magnus. Magnus shook his hand and said "sorry", but still not the best display of sportsmanship.”