World No. 1 and five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen made headlines once again at the 2025 FIDE World Blitz Championship in Doha, not just for his play but for an emotional reaction that quickly went viral online. After losing his ninth-round blitz game to India’s Arjun Erigaisi, the Norwegian grandmaster slammed the table in visible frustration, a moment that reminded fans of a similar outburst earlier this year.
In one of the biggest upsets of the tournament so far, 22-year-old Arjun defeated the defending blitz champion on time, using the black pieces, generally considered a slight disadvantage in chess because white moves first. Before the round, Carlsen and Arjun were among six players tied at the top of the standings, each with 6.5 points. With this victory, Arjun surged to 7.5 points and shared the lead alongside Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov
This wasn’t the first time Carlsen has expressed his competitive intensity in a visible way. Earlier in 2025, he had a similar table-slamming moment following a loss to fellow Indian grandmaster D Gukesh at the Norway Chess tournament, a clip that also circulated widely online.
Despite the emotional outburst, Carlsen remains a dominant force in the chess world, known for his fighting spirit and deep understanding of the game. Meanwhile, Arjun’s victory underscores the rise of Indian chess talent on the global stage, as the young grandmaster continues to challenge the very best under high pressure.
Shocking! Hikaru Nakamura Throws Chess Piece After Beating D. Gukesh As USA Crushes India 5-0 In 'Checkmate' Exhibition Event; Video
In a dramatic turn of events during the high-octane “Checkmate: USA vs India” chess exhibition in Arlington, Texas, American grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura stole the spotlight, not just with his skills, but with his showboating celebration. After defeating Indian prodigy D. Gukesh in a tense bullet tiebreaker, Nakamura tossed a chess piece into the crowd, sparking a wave of reactions from fans and chess purists alike.
The moment came at the end of a fiercely contested match where Gukesh had managed to hold Nakamura to draws in the 10-minute and 5-minute rapid segments, despite playing with the black pieces. However, in the final one-minute bullet round, where speed, instinct, and nerves collide, Nakamura found a checkmate with Qd8, cornering Gukesh's king in clinical fashion. What followed wasn’t a traditional handshake or quiet nod, but a flamboyant piece-throw into the audience, a rare sight in the usually restrained world of professional chess.
The gesture, although theatrical, was in keeping with the exhibition’s goal: to bring chess closer to mainstream entertainment. Nakamura, a veteran of online chess showmanship and streaming fame, leaned fully into the spectacle, turning his victory into a headline-grabbing moment.
