Carlsen hails Gukesh: 'I got soundly punished' in rare praise post

Gukesh Humbles Carlsen in Croatia, Earns Rare Praise After Dominant Win

Just days after dismissing D Gukesh as one of the “weaker players” in the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen was forced to eat his words after a stunning loss to the 18-year-old Indian Grandmaster in Round 6 of the tournament.

Gukesh, playing with the black pieces, defeated Carlsen on Thursday, July 4, marking his second consecutive win over the Norwegian legend. The victory propelled Gukesh to the top of the leaderboard with 10 points from six rounds, making him the sole leader in a tournament filled with world-class competitors.

🗣️ Carlsen's Rare Praise for Gukesh

After the game, Carlsen admitted his struggles and acknowledged Gukesh's brilliance:

“I’ve kind of played poorly the whole tournament, and this time I got soundly punished. He took his chances well, found a lot of really good moves, and once again I got short on time and couldn’t handle it,” Carlsen told Take Take Take.

He also revealed that he passed up a chance to force a draw, deciding to continue—only to find himself “hopelessly lost” a few moves later.

“It was poor, but all credit to Gukesh—he’s playing well and taking his chances,” Carlsen added.

🔁 Backtracking on Earlier Comments

Carlsen’s comments came in sharp contrast to his tone before the tournament. At the pre-tournament press conference in Zagreb, the former World Champion had questioned Gukesh's readiness for the rapid and blitz format, saying:

“He hasn’t done anything to indicate that he’s going to do well in such a tournament… I will approach it as if I’m playing one of the presumably weaker players.”

However, following his defeat, Carlsen was quick to reassess his earlier judgment:

“He’s doing incredibly well now. Winning five games in a row is no mean feat.”

Carlsen also opened up about his personal form, saying he was not enjoying chess at the moment and lacked rhythm and confidence:

“I am constantly hesitating… I don’t feel any flow at all. It’s just really poor right now.”

♟️ Gukesh vs Carlsen: A Turning Point

The match itself was a testament to Gukesh’s composure and precision. Carlsen, playing the English Opening, had a slight edge after the early moves. But Gukesh wrested control with a bold 26...d5, initiating dynamic play that threw Carlsen off balance.

As the clock dwindled and Carlsen’s position deteriorated, the 18-year-old tightened his grip, eventually forcing Carlsen to resign after 49 moves.

“Now we can question Magnus’ domination,” noted Garry Kasparov in the post-game commentary. “This isn’t just another loss. Gukesh played better—plain and simple.”

🚀 A Statement Day for the Young Grandmaster

The victory over Carlsen capped off a sensational day for Gukesh. After starting the day with a loss to Jan-Krzysztof Duda, he bounced back with three consecutive wins—against Alireza Firouzja, R Praggnanandhaa, and then Carlsen himself.

With this run, Gukesh firmly established that he is no longer the outsider or underdog—he is now playing as an equal among the very best.