Following intense battles, five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen took his seventh Norway Chess crown after American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana beat India’s young star D. Gukesh. While Gukesh failed to win the title, he still had a moment to cherish.
During a post-tournament event, the 19-year-old kept his spirits high and showed his sense of humour. When asked about his favourite moment from the tournament, Gukesh didn’t miss a beat and replied while looking at Carlsen, “Beating Magnus.” The response sparked laughter among the audience and brought a smile to Carlsen’s face.
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Magnus’ Favourite Moment
Conversely, however, when the same question was put to Carlsen, he echoed Gukesh’s words, saying, “It’s the same as Gukesh. I mean, there were great moments in the tournament. That’s the one that sticks out for me as well.” The clip was then posted by Norway Chess with the caption, “We will ALL remember this one thing.”
Tough Game b/w Gukesh and Magnus
Even after losing to Gukesh in round six, a game in which Carlsen was plainly angry as he slapped the table before shaking hands, the Norwegian great recovered. Summing up that defeat, Carlsen said, “The dream of playing a really good tournament burst with that game. It was not my best moment, but I regretted the actions that I took more than the gesture because that sort of just happened at the time. I was so kind of zoned out that I had to get out of the car on the ride home and just take a few minutes to gather myself.”
Watch Magnus’ Reaction:
WHAT JUST HAPPENED? 😱🫣 pic.twitter.com/RwBqhfU0gv
— Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) June 1, 2025
Carlsen had initially won the opening round but stumbled in round six against Gukesh, who celebrated his first-ever classical win over the World No. 1. However, Carlsen made a strong comeback and secured the championship after Gukesh lost his final-round game to Caruana.
In the final standings, Carlsen topped with 16 points, followed by Caruana at 15.5, and Gukesh with 14.5. Arjun Erigaisi, another Indian talent, ended the tournament in fifth place with 12.5 points. Carlsen later remarked that Gukesh and Erigaisi ‘still need a little bit of time to prepare’, suggesting they are promising but not quite at their peak yet.
