Sign in

D Gukesh’s grandfather’s reaction to Carlsen win will melt your hearts, defends Norwegian’s table slamming reaction

Speaking after D Gukesh’s win, his grandfather Shankar Rajesh had an ecstatic response to the result. Meanwhile, he also defended Magnus Carlsen's reaction.

Published on: Jun 2, 2025, 17:27:11 IST
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

D Gukesh left Magnus Carlsen shellshocked on Sunday in their Round 6 face-off as the 18-year-old GM sealed a surprising win against the World No. 1 at Norway Chess 2025. The Indian GM was in a losing position, but a massive blunder by Carlsen saw him take advantage in the end-game and clinch his maiden classical win against the Norwegian.

D Gukesh defeated Magnus Carlsen on Monday. (Twitter (Norway Chess / Michal Walusza))
D Gukesh defeated Magnus Carlsen on Monday. (Twitter (Norway Chess / Michal Walusza))

Speaking after Gukesh’s win, his grandfather Shankar Rajesh had an ecstatic response to the result. Speaking to ANI, he said, “One of the major achievements which he hadn’t achieved before, he achieved now. Gukesh has now beaten Magnus Carlsen as well. There is no pressure on him now.”

Also Read: ‘Chess is perfect in jail’: Magnus Carlsen's childhood coach turned prison chaplain and played with inmates

The match lasted 62 moves and over fours hours, and Carlsen lost to the reigning World Champion. Gukesh’s fans were also pleased that he finally defeated Carlsen, who had criticised the quality of his World C’ship win vs Ding Liren.

‘That is natural’

The win also saw Carlsen slam his table in frustration as he lost to Gukesh, and then also shook hands with the Indian GM. Defending Carlsen for his behaviour, Rajesh said, “That is natural.”

“He will be relaxed and he will be practising…”

He also revealed that he hasn’t spoken to Gukesh yet as they don’t disturb him during tournaments.

Gukesh had lost to Carlsen in the opening round, so for him the win also served as sweet revenge. He is now in third spot with 8.5 points, behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana by only one point.

Hailing Gukesh, his coach Grzegorz Gajewski said, “It (win) just gives a huge pump of confidence (to Gukesh) because once you've done it, you know you can do it again. And that's the plan.”

“And for the tournament (Norway Chess) that's going ahead, it gives him (Gukesh) a bump. Hopefully we can break another unbreakable margin. Perfect,” he added.

  • HT Sports Desk
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    HT Sports Desk

    At HT Sports Desk, passionate reporters work round the clock to provide detailed updates from the world of sports. Expect nuanced match reports, previews,reviews, technical analysis based on statistics, the latest social media trends, expert opinions on cricket, football, tennis, badminton, hockey,motorsports, wrestling, boxing, shooting, athletics and much more.Read More

Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.