Magnus Carlsen After Gukesh Scores Fifth Consecutive Win In Zagreb: 'I Got Soundly Punished'
D Gukesh stuns Magnus Carlsen in Zagreb to take sole lead at the Super United Rapid & Blitz 2025 with five straight wins. The Indian GM is now 2 points clear with 3 rounds to go.
In a commanding display of precision and nerves, Indian chess sensation D Gukesh defeated world number one Magnus Carlsen for the second time this year, securing the top spot after six rounds at the prestigious Super United Rapid & Blitz Tournament in Zagreb.
The 18-year-old grandmaster is now riding high on a five-game winning streak, including Thursday night’s headline-grabbing victory over Carlsen. With 10 points out of a possible 12, Gukesh sits comfortably two points ahead of his closest competitor, Jan-Krzysztof Duda of Poland.
Gukesh in Control
Gukesh’s rise at this elite event has been nothing short of spectacular. After sweeping all three of his matches on the opening day, he continued his hot streak by outplaying Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Fabiano Caruana before toppling Carlsen in a tense, strategic battle.
Carlsen, known for his dominance in fast-paced formats, had an early edge following a king pawn opening. However, Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, held firm under pressure. As the game unfolded, Carlsen found himself forced to sacrifice two minor pieces for a rook and a pair of pawns—an imbalance that seemed to favor him, but only briefly.
With the clock ticking and nerves fraying, Gukesh calmly unraveled Carlsen’s position. In just 49 moves, the Indian prodigy secured a memorable win—one that not only underlined his rapid-fire skills but also silenced lingering doubts about his speed chess abilities.
Carlsen Admits Struggles
Speaking after the loss, Carlsen was candid about his form. “I’ve played kind of poorly the whole tournament,” he admitted. “This time, I got soundly punished. I had a very nice position, but I couldn’t handle the time pressure. Gukesh found a lot of really good moves.”
He added, “Winning five games in a row is no mean feat. Honestly, I’m not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I feel no flow, I’m hesitating constantly. But credit to Gukesh—he’s doing incredibly well.”
"All credit to Gukesh; he's playing well and he's taking his chances too. - He's doing incredibly well now. It's a long way to go in the tournament, but winning five games in a row is no mean feat."@MagnusCarlsen after losing to @DGukesh. pic.twitter.com/gUz3FTAJxd
— Take Take Take (@TakeTakeTakeApp) July 3, 2025
The Norwegian champion, known for his competitive fire, had famously slammed the table after losing to Gukesh in classical format at the Norway Chess tournament earlier this year. Thursday’s loss only deepens the budding rivalry between the two.
The Road Ahead
With just three rounds remaining in the rapid section, Gukesh leads the standings, followed by Duda (8 points) and Wesley So of the United States (7 points). Carlsen, Ivan Saric (Croatia), and Anish Giri (Netherlands) are tied in fourth place with six points each.
India’s R Praggnanandhaa has yet to register a win in the tournament. Despite holding strong in his matches against Caruana, Carlsen, and Giri—each ending in a draw—he finds himself tied for seventh with Caruana on five points. Alireza Firouzja of France trails with four, while Abdusattorov languishes at the bottom with just three points.
Current Standings After Round 6:
- D Gukesh (India) – 10 points
- Jan-Krzysztof Duda (Poland) – 8
- Wesley So (USA) – 7
4-6. Magnus Carlsen (Norway), Ivan Saric (Croatia), Anish Giri (Netherlands) – 6 each
7-8. R Praggnanandhaa (India), Fabiano Caruana (USA) – 5 each - Alireza Firouzja (France) – 4
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – 3
With momentum on his side, Gukesh now stands on the brink of a defining career moment.
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