World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen didn’t take his loss against reigning world champion D Gukesh at the 2025 Norway Chess lightly. The sixth-round defeat clearly hit him hard. Carlsen gave a strong reaction after the match, slamming his fist on the table with a loud thud. The sound shocked everyone, including Gukesh, who was left wide-eyed. Despite the frustration, Carlsen quickly calmed down and shook hands with Gukesh, showing sportsmanship.
In an interview on Pardon My Take, Carlsen admitted the defeat made him feel “washed and useless.” He said that losses affect him more emotionally than wins.
“That was a really painful loss. Those hit a lot harder. Honestly, part of me, when I had that loss (to Gukesh) recently, just felt it was so dumb and so unnecessary. It just made me feel so kind of washed and useless that my thought for a few days was just ‘I’m not sure why am I doing this. When I win it’s good, but it feels kind of normal. Then when I lose, it’s just, you know, for a moment, the world just falls apart,” Carlsen said.
“I wish I could have avoided…” – Magnus Carlsen won’t apologise for his actions
Magnus Carlsen said he didn’t want to create a bad image of himself with his reaction. But he felt that chess players should be allowed to express their emotions, especially after a tough loss. He compared his reaction to what happens in other sports, like tennis.
“I don’t aspire to be a bad boy. Sometimes, I think I’m in a position, compared to some of my peers, where I can afford not to take shit. But honestly like those moments I had, like banging the table, like I’m generally not going to apologize for outbursts in the moment, as long as you realize afterwards and you show your opponent the proper respect,” said the 34-year-old.
He added that while he wished he could’ve avoided the moment by winning the game, emotions should have space in chess too.
“Obviously I wish I could have avoided that by winning the game itself, but I honestly think that there should be room for that in chess as well. It’s a little bit like smashing your racket in tennis. Chess is such an uptight sport to begin with, that (showing emotions) I think it’s okay,” he added.
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