Magnus Carlsen Lauds Gukesh After Chess Upset

STAVANGER, NORWAY (ANI) – Five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen praised reigning world champion D Gukesh for his “fighting spirit” following the young Indian’s landmark victory in Round 6 of Norway Chess 2025.

Gukesh, 19, secured his first-ever classical win over Carlsen on May 31, staging an impressive comeback from a difficult position.

Carlsen, who held the advantage for much of the match, acknowledged the teenager’s grit. “I remember being that age myself—sometimes your energy and fighting qualities outweigh the quality of your moves,” Carlsen said. “For a long time, he was more or less blindly pushing, and on a normal day, I win that game. But he fought hard and was ready to take his chance—he deserves credit for that.”

The result marks only the second time an Indian player has defeated Carlsen in the tournament’s history, following Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa. Gukesh’s win boosted him to third place in the Norway Chess 2025 standings with 8.5 points, just one point behind joint leaders Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana.

The two had previously faced off in Round 1 on May 27, where Carlsen launched a sharp king-side attack to win. That game marked their first classical encounter since Gukesh became World Champion and Carlsen’s return to individual classical play after nearly a year.