Magnus Carlsen faced a surprising setback at the Grand Chess Tour 2025, where he was outplayed by D Gukesh in their Round 6 match. Despite Gukesh's relatively low profile in rapid and blitz formats, the young Indian chess prodigy showcased his skills brilliantly on the board.

The game kicked off with both players energetically executing their opening strategies. Carlsen opted for the English Opening, aiming to catch Gukesh off guard. Initially, it appeared that the Norwegian had the upper hand, but a pivotal moment arose on move 23 when Carlsen advanced his b-pawn, which unexpectedly shifted the advantage to Gukesh.

After the match, a noticeably humbled Carlsen praised Gukesh's performance, offering rare compliments to the 18-year-old and retracting his earlier comments. Gukesh, maintaining his humility, downplayed the victory but acknowledged it as a significant boost to his self-confidence.

Carlsen remarked, "He’s performing exceptionally well. Winning five consecutive games is quite an achievement, especially with more rounds to go in the tournament." He also expressed his current struggles with the game, stating, "I’m not enjoying chess at all right now. I feel no rhythm and am constantly hesitating, which is disappointing."

This isn't the first instance of Gukesh defeating the reigning world champion. Earlier in the 2025 Norway Chess tournament, he had already triumphed over Carlsen in classical chess, following a critical blunder from the former champion that led to an outburst of frustration.

With two more matches between the two scheduled in the blitz rounds, all eyes will be on whether Carlsen can mount a comeback or if Gukesh will continue to assert his dominance.