Days after D Gukesh called, one of the weaker players in Superunited Rapid and Blitz Croatia, Magnus Carlsen had a rare moment of praise of the Indian Grand Master after he broke after his tournament.
Indian Chess Prodigy played with black pieces on Thursday 4th July and beat Magnus, player 1 in the world. It was his second direct victory over Carlsen and took him to the top of the ranking as the only leader with 10 points out of six games.
After the game, Carlsen, Carlsen had a rare moment of praise for Indian GM and said he was angry at the tournament.
“I did not play the whole tournament badly and this time I was punished properly. I think I had a very, very nice position. He took the chances of opening a C6 position, and then it was a bit like before I got a short time and I couldn’t really do it, and yeah, found a lot of good movements,” Carlsen said.
“All loan on Gukesh; he plays well and also takes his chances. – Now he’s doing incredibly well. It’s a long trip to the tournament, but winning in five games in a row is not an average performance.”@Magnuscarlsen After losing @DGUKETHS. pic.twitter.com/guz3ftajxd– issued case (@taketakeppapp) 3 July 2025
“Yeah, he did the part very well. At some point I had the last chance to save myself to something very drawn, and then I thought, okay, let’s play. A few moves later I was hopelessly lost.
“It was bad, but all the recognition of Gukesh; he plays well and also takes his chances,” Carlsen said.
Carlsen’s comments backfire
The Norwegians previously made a courageous statement about Gukesh. At a press conference before Carlsen, he said that Gukesh had not proved any signs, that he was doing well in a fast and blitz format in Croatia.
“I think Gukesh played here for the last time,” Carlsen said at a press conference before the tournament in Zagreb. “But it remains to prove that he is one of the best players in this format. We have a very, very strong field. Gukesh did nothing to suggest that he would be doing well in such a tournament. I hope he can do better for him. But I play him in this tournament.
After his match with Gukesh, Carlsen quickly remedied and appreciated the players for doing well in faster formats. He also said he was enjoying his game at the moment.
“Now he’s doing incredibly well. It’s a long way to the tournament, but the victory in five games in a row is no average performance,” Carlsen concluded at Gukesh.
“I really enjoy playing chess right now. I don’t feel any flow at all. I’m constantly hesitating and yeah, it’s really poor right now,” Carlsen added about his final notes.
Guchand vs Carlsen in Croatia
On Thursday, Gukesh arrived first, took several quiet moments for himself and waited. Carlsen opened with English and seemed to have a upper hand after 18 … NH5 19.bf2!. But Gukesh, unwavering, confiscated the initiative with a sharp 26 … D5. Carlsen began to slip, and as his position deteriorated and his hours checked under a minute, the pressure said. After 49 movements resigned.
It was a controlled, secured power from Gukesh, which is a reminder that he is no longer an outsider. He plays as the same among the biggest names of the game.
“Now we can question Magnus’ domination,” Garry Kasparov said about the commentary. “That’s not just another loss. It’s convincing. Gukesh not only earned mistakes but played better.”
The result ended a remarkable day for a teenager. He began with a loss to Jan-Krzysztof Duda, but he bounced strongly and defeated Alireza Firouzja and Indian R. Pragggnanandhaa before Carlsen overthrew. Three victories on trot by the end of the day.
– ends
Published:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
4th July 2025
