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Magnus Carlsen says he’s ‘not feeling the flow’ after another loss to D Gukesh; netizens call him a ‘bad, bad loser’
D Gukesh is on a roll. The 19-year-old chess prodigy just beat Magnus Carlsen for the second time in a month and Carlsen's excuses are only getting stranger
D Gukesh is clearly living rent-free in Magnus Carlsen’ head and the 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster proved it once again at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz tournament on July 3. In a surprising yet clinical display of his mastery over the game, Gukesh defeated the former world champion in the rapid format — less than a month after his infamous victory over Carlsen, 34, in classical chess at Norway Chess.
That match, of course, ended with Carlsen visibly frustrated, banging the table and now, the chess legend seems to have pulled out a new reason to explain his latest loss. “Honestly, I am not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I just, I don't feel any flow at all when I'm playing. I'm constantly hesitating and it's just really poor right now,” Carlsen said in an interview with Take Take Take after the game.
This win marked Gukesh’s fifth straight one in the tournament, which catapulted him to the sole lead after six rounds. Carlsen — who has, in the past, dismissed Gukesh as “weak” and questioned his skills in faster formats — had no choice but to acknowledge the teenager’s current momentum. “He’s doing incredibly well now (in the format). It’s a long way to go in the tournament, but winning five games in a row is no mean feat,” he conceded. Furthermore, Carlsen didn't shy away from criticising his own game. “I have played kind of poorly the whole tournament and this time I got soundly punished,” he said.
The match saw Carlsen, playing with the white pieces, resign after 49 moves. He admitted that while he had a promising position early on, a single decision from Gukesh turned the tide. “I had a very, very nice position. He took his chance to open out his position with C6. After that, it was a little bit like earlier where I got short of time and I couldn't really handle it that well and he found a lot of really good moves.”
“I had one last chance at some point to bail out to something that was very, very drawish but I thought let’s continue playing and then a couple of moves later I was pretty hopelessly lost,” he said. “It was poor but all credit to Gukesh. He’s playing well and is taking his chances too,” Carlsen admitted.
Netizens react
Netizens were firmly in Gukesh’s corner after the match. “Gukesh defeating Carlsen isn’t an ‘upset’ anymore as evolution is unfolding on the board. Quiet, composed, and consistent. A new era in chess is here, and Gukesh is leading the way,” said one user on X. Another joked, “Anger management course has worked really fast for Magnus.” The reactions didn’t stop there. “This is so so satisfying. Gukesh is truly great. Magnus is a loud mouth brat. Love to see him getting humbled. I don't know why he gives those weird statements. Does he really mean them or is it some psychological trick? God knows,” wrote another. One user quipped, “Gukesh now lives rent free in Magnus' head. That's exactly why he won!!”
Another added, “One is getting used to winning, and other is slowly getting reality checks... Being humble is not a weakness, a trait Magnus lacks.” And summing up the mood, a comment read: “Carlsen, a great man, is a bad bad loser... Always demeans his opponents and tries some excuse... I was not in mood... I got food allergy... I was not in mood.”
But is Carlsen really giving Gukesh his due?
While the Norwegian great credited Gukesh, many fans have pointed out that this is yet another example of Carlsen struggling to accept defeat without undercutting his opponent. From blaming the format, to his state of mind, to time pressure — his excuses are beginning to look like a pattern, especially when the wins come from Gukesh. One thing is clear: the Carlsen-Gukesh rivalry is no longer a fluke. And if this trend continues, it’s not just Magnus’s form that’s under question, it’s his sportsmanship too.
Carlsen will face Gukesh again in two more matches, which will be played in the blitz format.
