Indian chess sensation Gukesh has once again shocked the chess world by defeating Magnus Carlsen, this time in a rapid match at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025 in Zagreb. Just weeks after beating Carlsen in classical chess at Norway, Gukesh delivered another strong performance, forcing the former world champion to resign after 49 moves. This win wasn’t just another upset—it was a strong and clean game that left no room for doubts.
Gukesh is now leading the tournament with 10 points, ahead of Jan-Krzysztof Duda who has 8. Carlsen, surprisingly, is way behind with just 6 points. With three more games left in the rapid format, Gukesh is in a solid position to finish on top.
What makes this win more special is that it came in the rapid format, which many had considered Gukesh’s weak point. Even Carlsen himself had hinted before the tournament that Gukesh wasn’t yet strong enough in rapid and blitz formats. He went as far as saying he’d treat games against Gukesh like matches against one of the “presumably weaker players.”
But Gukesh had other plans. Since losing in the first round to Duda, he bounced back and won five straight games, defeating top players like Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, Caruana, and now Carlsen.
Garry Kasparov, who was on live commentary, was stunned by Carlsen’s mistake in the 23rd move—pushing the b pawn to b4. He reacted sharply, saying “You don’t play b4, you just don’t play b4,” calling it a blunder that turned the game in Gukesh’s favour. Kasparov didn’t hold back and even went on to say, “Now we can question Magnus’ domination.”
He also praised Gukesh’s composure and ability to bounce back from tough positions, comparing him to a computer. “Playing Gukesh is like playing a computer. He has many lives in each game—you have to beat him five times,” Kasparov said.
Carlsen too admitted after the match that he had played poorly and that Gukesh punished him for it. “He’s playing well and taking his chances,” Carlsen said. “I had a nice position but I couldn’t handle the pressure when I ran short of time. Gukesh found a lot of really good moves.”
The 18-year-old Indian grandmaster is already the youngest world champion in classical chess. With his recent form in rapid, he’s proving that he’s not just a classical player but a complete chess powerhouse ready to take over the world stage.
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