When India’s Gukesh Dommaraju became the second Indian to beat the World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, the two contrasting reactions shook the room. While Gukesh reminisced in silence, Carlsen had a rather frustrated public reaction. Sharing this exact moment, Anand Mahindra took to X and said, “Carlsen’s visible frustration at the end wasn’t just a tantrum — it was the greatest compliment the World Champion could receive from the GOAT… His (Gukesh) silence roared louder than Carlsen’s exit.”
The final checkmate moment left Carlsen stunned. He slammed the table and stormed out immediately. The reigning world champion patted Gukesh on the back as he left the room. The video that captures it all, went viral on social media.
Carlsen’s visible frustration at the end wasn’t just a tantrum — it was the greatest compliment the World Champion could receive from the GOAT
No fist pump. No smirk. Gukesh didn’t need one. His silence roared louder than Carlsen’s exit.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽pic.twitter.com/W97idHhIct
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) June 2, 2025
“No fist pump. No smirk. Gukesh didn’t need one”
Spending the first few seconds after the win, was Gukesh shocked too. Only to realise, he made history, Gukesh has now climbed up to the third spot in the Norway Chess 2025 points table. At 8.5 points, he is just one point behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.
Receiving appreciation from PM Modi, Gukesh truly stunned the world of chess in the gripping exchange between the masters of the game. This victory marked Gukesh’s first ever classical win. After behind on the defensive in the most of the match, one wrong move from Carlsen flipped the tone of the entire match. Costing him the victory, it also gave him global attention about the “sore-loser” or “frustrated image” he displayed.
Media reports showed how Carlsen went into a downward spiral after the defeat. Speaking to Norway’s TV2 he revealed that playing classical chess “was not fun at all”. Apart from him not enjoying the game, he mentioned how “maybe (he) totally stop playing classical chess”. Acknowledging his prowess and ranking, he discussed that he didn’t see a point in him playing the game anymore.
Anand Mahindra’s comment and other notable voices appreciating Gukesh are the cheers that keep the passion alive.
