Gukesh D has proved once again why he is the reigning world champion. No matter how many people think it was just luck, as they did the last time he beat Magnus Carlsen at the Norway Chess 2025, he had done it again. And this time, it’s at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia.
Gukesh D defeated Magnus Carlsen again at the Grand Chess Tour 2025, in round two, and took the sole lead with 10 points. This win marks his second consecutive win over Carlsen, and fifth consecutive in the entire tournament. Carlsen is trailing behind him with 6 points.
This win is a perfect reply to Carlsen’s remark ahead of the tournament, where he called Gukesh D “one of the presumably weaker players.” While Gukesh wasn’t much convinced with his first victory and said, “99 out of 100 times I would lose. Just a lucky day,” He seems to have finally believed in his raw talent.
Gukesh D On His Win
Gukesh D, on this outstanding victory, said, “Yes, beating Magnus is always special, for sure. I think this also gives a bit more confidence in a sense that, like, I just had a horrible position from the opening. I just mixed up something really bad. It’s nice that, like, two losing positions in a row, I could win against Magnus.”
Magnus Carlsen’s Humble Remarks
Magnus Carlsen, too, seems to have humbled down and finally given credit to Gukesh for his win, and not calling it just “luck.” He said, “Gukesh is doing incredible well (at this tournament). It’s a long way to go in the tournament, but winning five games in a row is no mean feat.”
It was poor (from me), but all credit to Gukesh. He’s playing well and taking his chances. I’ve played kind of poorly the whole tournament. This time, I got soundly punished. I think I had a very nice position. He took his chance to open up the position, after that it was a little bit like earlier when I got short of time, and I could not handle it that well. And Gukesh found a lot of really good moves,” he added
And as we all know, no Carlsen’s loss can go without drama. The first time he lost to Gukesh in classical chess, he said he doesn’t enjoy it anymore and is considering retirement. This time too, he said, “Honestly, I’m not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I just… I don’t feel any flow at all. When I am playing, I’m constantly hesitating. It’s just really poor right now.”
Garry Kasparov’s Appreciation
Well, whatever the reason may be. One thing is clear: Gukesh D, the world champion, deserves all the respect for his talent, and it’s not just luck. Even Garry Kasparov, the legend himself, “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.”
Also Read: Gukesh D Strikes Magnus Carlsen Again, Proves It’s Not Just Luck
