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World Chess Champion Dommaraju Gukesh again showcased his courageous side against the world number one chess player Magnus Carlsen in the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 in Zagreb in the rapid game. The 19-year-old hit the headlines for beating Carlsen in the classical game earlier in the year in the Norway Chess 2025. Following that defeat, Carlsen’s reaction to his loss got viral on social media. However, the Norwegian shut his critics by winning that tournament eventually. After a month, Gukesh and Carlsen clashed against each other again on the chessboard. The Indian Chess Grandmaster held his nerves and got the better of Carlsen for the second time in a row, this time in rapid format.
Magnus Carlsen capitulated against Magnus Carlsen after 49 moves in the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025. This time, Carlsen didn’t show frustration as he did in the previous game. The 34-year-old remained calm after the loss. Following the win, Dommaraju Gukesh has qualified for the final day of the three-day rapid segment as the sole leader with 10 points. On the other side, Carlsen is trailing by six points. Gukesh is getting competition from Poland’s Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who is two points behind the 19-year-old Indian.
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Garry Kasparov grabs the headlines for his commentary
Garry Kasparov, who was commentating during the match, attracted the attention for his views. Right after the defeat, Kasparov highlighted Carlsen’s comprehensive defeat to the youngster. “Now we can question Magnus’ domination. This is not just his second loss to Gukesh, it’s a convincing loss. It’s not a miracle… or that Gukesh just kept benefitting from Magnus’ terrible mistakes. It was a game that was a big fight. And Magnus lost,” he remarked.
Before the match, Magnus Carlsen gave a bite to the media, calling Gukesh a weak player in the draw. “Gukesh hasn’t done anything to indicate that he’s going to do well (in rapid and blitz). It remains to be proven that he’s one of the best players in such a format. This is a very, very strong field that we have here. Players like Gukesh have a lot to prove. In the course of 27 rounds, things usually show. I hope for Gukesh’s sake that he can play better,” remarked Carlsen ahead of the contest.
