Magnus Carlsen bangs table after losing to World Champion D Gukesh from India

World champion Gukesh Dommaraju stood frozen, hand on chin, struggling to absorb the gravity of what had just unfolded.

In an electrifying showdown at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament, the 18-year-old Indian grandmaster pulled off a sensational victory against five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen - his first-ever win over the Norwegian in a classical chess game.

Few had anticipated such an outcome, especially after Gukesh appeared to be slipping toward defeat in a tense and complex endgame.

But a late blunder by Carlsen turned the tides, and after 62 grueling moves spread across four hours, Gukesh emerged victorious.

The loss rattled Carlsen, who banged the table in frustration - sending pieces scattering and social media into a frenzy. The clip of the outburst went viral, showing the rare sight of the usually composed Carlsen visibly shaken. Yet, in a gesture of sportsmanship, Carlsen extended his hand and even patted Gukesh on the back as the young prodigy slowly stood up, still dazed by what he had achieved.

Commentators and fans hailed the clash as the "turnaround of the year", not just for the dramatic shift in the game's trajectory but for the symbolic shift it may represent in the global chess landscape.

Gukesh, previously defeated by Carlsen in the opening round, has now rebounded emphatically - climbing to third place on the tournament leaderboard with 8.5 points, just behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana.