Magnus Carlsen makes headlines again for all the wrong reasons (Screengrabs) NEW DELHI: World number one Magnus Carlsen was embroiled in yet another dramatic incident at the FIDE World Blitz Championship 2025 in Doha, where he lost his 14th round match by forfeit after defeating several pieces on the board on Tuesday. The episode added to a difficult few days for the former world champion, who struggled to control his emotions under a lot of time pressure.
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The incident occurred when Carlsen was playing Armenian Grandmaster Haik Martirosyan. With only two seconds left on the clock, Carlsen attempted a move but accidentally knocked down four pieces at the same time. He pressed the clock in his haste before placing the pieces back on the board correctly. Martirosyan immediately stopped the clock and called arbitrator Chris Bird to the table.Watch:After much discussion between the officials, the decision went against Carlsen. He accepted the decision and lost the game. At the time of the incident, Martirosyan had ten seconds left on the clock, giving him a clear advantage.As the moment unfolded live, a Chess.com commentator summed up the chaos on the board. “What the hell is going on. Magnus has no control over the pieces. Every single piece just fell over. Even as he tried to put them back up, he knocked more pieces over,” said the commentator.The unusual scene attracted the attention of several top players in the area. So Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi, Alexander Grischuk and Wesley All stopped and watched. While Wesley So looked amused, Erigaisi interrupted his own game to find out what was going on.Carlsen desperately needed a win in this round to stay in contention for the title. After 13 rounds, he had nine points and was already one point behind the leaders. The loss further hurt his chances at the Blitz event, where he struggled to live up to his usual standards. He is currently in fifth place with 12 points.On Monday, he crashed the table and showed his frustration after losing early to India’s Arjun Erigaisi. SEE ALSO: Blitz World Championship: Magnus Carlsen tops the table, this time after losing to Arjun Erigaisi
