Magnus Carlsen is defeated by World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju. Watch his reaction.
Two of the world's top chess players faced off in a match that ended with a fist slam of defeat.
At the 2025 Norway Chess tournament on June 1, reigning World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju beat the No. 1-ranked Magnus Carlsen in a round of classical chess.
Carlsen, a five-time world champion and titan of the sport, conceded his loss in the round by slamming his fist on the table before shaking hands with his opponent.
A video of the reaction has since gone viral on social media, garnering more than 14 million views on Chess.com's X account.
The round was Gukesh's first time defeating Carlsen in classical chess, according to Chess.com.
Magnus Carlsen's fist slam rocked the chess world and garnered reactions
Members of the chess world and fans of the sport took to social media to react to Carlsen's loss.
"This is the biggest shock of the year!" Susan Polgar, a former Women's World Chess Champion, wrote on X.
Kevin Goh Wei Ming, a seven-time Singaporean chess champion, said in an X post that it is "completely understandable why he got so mad."
Gukesh, a 19-year-old from India, also received congratulations from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"An exceptional achievement by Gukesh! Congratulations to him for triumphing over the very best," Modi wrote in a post on X.
Carlsen says loss is 'not something I want to experience very often'
Following the loss, Carlsen told reporters at the tournament on June 2 that the frustration is "not something I want to experience very often," according to Chess.com.
"I wish I had a different reaction. But it was what it was," he said.
Gukesh said in an interview after the round that it was "just a lucky day."
"99 out of 100 times I would lose," he said.
Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for Paste BN. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com.