Following defeat against D Gukesh during 2025 Norway Chess, Magnus Carlsen’s angry reaction sent social media into a state of meltdown.
Carlsen was dominating throughout the game and then a massive blunder towards the end, saw Gukesh clinch a thrilling comeback win. After the stunning loss, Carlsen slammed the table in frustration.
Carlsen’s unusual reaction went viral over various social media platforms. Memes and parodies stemmed from his table slam.
Reflecting on Carlsen’s reaction, Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand felt that it broke stereotypes of how chess players are emotionally.
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“I would not call this totally undeserved win for Gukesh. Magnus is famous for converting things perfectly. So he of all people should know how to win this. But of course Gukesh was lucky that he could even survive this far. Magnus was basically 99% of the way. It’s like falling and injuring yourself 2 metres before the finish line. That’s what happened to him,” said Anand during a recent interaction.
“He was so angry that he hit the table. Quite understandable and even in a sporting sense he just produced a moment where everyone could see what chess players are going through. People have this fixed image of chess players being very serious and suddenly they see emotions and enjoy it. So also it helps us break some stereotypes,” he added.