WATCH: Magnus Carlsen Punches Table in Rage After Defeat by Young Chess Prodigy

Chess titan Magnus Carlsen slammed his fist on the table in a moment of blind fury after losing to 19-year-old world champion D. Gukesh in a high-stakes sixth-round encounter at Norway Chess 2025 on Sunday.

The match, which had Carlsen pressing for most of the game, flipped dramatically as time pressure mounted. A single miscalculation from the Norwegian allowed Gukesh to take control and ultimately take the win, his first-ever classical victory over the five-time world champion.

It was their second face-off of the tournament. Carlsen had taken the first-round win and had taunted online afterward: “You come at the King. You best not miss.”

But this time, it was Gukesh who struck – and it was Carlsen who missed.

The eruption from the usually controlled Carlsen quickly went viral. After the handshake, offered with a hasty apology, Carlsen exited the hall.

But as he punched the table, one surreal detail caught the eye of eagle-eyed viewers: his own king toppled over, while Gukesh’s stood upright – a moment of symbolic theatre highlighted by American grandmaster Levy Rozman.

Asked to comment on Carlson’s reaction, the younger player gracefully reflected to Chess.com: “I’ve also banged a lot of tables in my career.”

Gukesh’s latest victory makes him only the second Indian player to defeat Carlsen in the event’s history. With 8.5 points, he now trails tournament leaders Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana by just a single point.

Watch above via Chess.com.