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'My B-game is usually enough': Magnus Carlsen reacts after dominating Grand Chess Tour 2025
Magnus Carlsen took the first place at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz and won $40,000 prize money. Image: Grand Chess Tour
Magnus Carlsen proved once again why he is considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. The former World Champion completely dominated the Super United Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb, Croatia, winning the title with a round to spare. The tournament was part of the Grand Chess Tour 2025.
Carlsen finished at the top of the leaderboard with 22.5 out of 36 points. He looked calm and confident throughout the tournament and defeated local boy Ivan Saric in the final round to win the trophy. After winning the title, Carlsen gave an honest reaction that caught everyone's attention.
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Carlsen's first reaction after SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz win
'When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough. Always striving for more though!' the current World No. 1 wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough. Always striving for more though! https://t.co/PAofdSP9H3 — Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) July 6, 2025
Carlsen had finished third in the rapid section of the tournament held from 2 to 4 July. Current World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh had secured the first place with 14 out of 18 points in the rapid leg. Carlsen had just 10 points going into the blitz section of the Grand Chess Tour event.
However, the five-time world champion made a remarkable comeback, scoring 12.5 points in the blitz section, which helped him finish at the top of the overall standings. Thanks to his victory, Carlsen won USD 40,000 as prize money out of the total pool of USD 1,75,000.
American Grandmaster Wesley So finished second with 20 points and took home USD 30,000, while Gukesh won USD 25,000 after securing third place with 19.5 points. Gukesh edged Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland and Alireza Firouzja of France by just 0.5 points to secure the podium finish.
SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia: Final standings
1. Carlsen (Norway, 22.5 points)
2. Wesley So (USA, 20 points)
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3. D Gukesh (India, 19.5 points)
4-5. Duda Jan-Krzysztof (Poland), Alireza Firouzja (France) 19 points each
6. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan, 18 points)
7-8. Fabiano Caruana (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands) 17 points each
9. R Praggnanandhaa (India, 15 points)
10. Ivan Saric (Croatia, 13 points)
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Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
‘Magnus Carlsen's respect for D Gukesh is only going to grow' – What does it even mean?
NEW DELHI: 'It's like writing an article: if you have more time, then you do better work,' Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan explains the basic difference between classical chess and the faster formats like rapid and blitz. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now On Sunday, the faster format saw the redemption of whom many consider 'the greatest of all time,' . Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! After watching reigning World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju lead the way in the rapid event at the Super United Rapid and Blitz in Croatia, Carlsen pulled out his 'B-game'—his words—to prove that it was 'usually enough' to claim yet another title. After the win, he made a cheeky post with the caption 'haters' on social media, only to delete it shortly after. A message received, nonetheless. Earlier that day, all eyes were on the marquee clash: Carlsen vs. Gukesh, a battle of titans that ended unexpectedly in a 14-move Berlin draw lasting just more than a minute. There were no theatrics, no psychological jabs, just a quiet handshake. Gukesh appeared unruffled. Carlsen looked visibly irked, stealing a glance at the display board and shrugging a couple of times as he made his way out. Yet, in that muted draw lay another chapter of a rivalry that has come to define this transition era in world chess. Carlsen has never minced his words. In recent times, Gukesh has found himself in the Norwegian's crosshairs—perhaps unintentionally, but tellingly. From downplaying his credentials as World Champion to doubting Gukesh's acumen in faster formats, Carlsen has raised subtle but sharp questions. The thing is, Gukesh has always answered them—not with words, but with moves. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Although Carlsen eventually clinched the Norway Chess title earlier this year, it was Gukesh who rattled the home favourite on his own turf, enough to make the Scandinavian bang the table in frustration—a moment that quickly grabbed social media's attention. Ahead of the Zagreb tournament, Carlsen struck again, saying: 'Gukesh hasn't done anything to indicate that he's going to do well in such a tournament.' Many, including the 34-year-old, expected Gukesh's perceived shortcomings in quicker formats to be exposed again. Instead, the 19-year-old beat Carlsen, led the rapid section, and finished third overall in Croatia. 'Sometimes when players compare levels, they remember their own best games and someone else's bad ones,' GM Pravin Thipsay, who coached a franchise featuring Carlsen in the Global Chess League, told 'That creates a gap in perception. A player's level is their worst and best together. 'He may still be the world No. 1, but that doesn't give him the right to undermine others. Even Garry Kasparov didn't win everything. And when Kasparov made such comments, he at least had the grace to acknowledge when he was wrong.' Thipsay also pointed to Carlsen's waning motivation in classical formats: 'When the genuine feeling develops that you're much better than someone else, and then it becomes surprising when you're not able to beat them. That's where the lack of motivation creeps in. " Frankly speaking, Magnus has a different kind of problem too: his inability to concentrate for two, three, or four hours is real. It's a serious issue,' suggesting that outbursts like banging the table stem from a deeper frustration: an unwillingness to fully accept that younger players like Gukesh are quickly catching up. 'Gukesh is very composed,' said 65-year-old Thipsay. 'Even when Carlsen banged the table, he didn't react. That shows maturity. The younger generation is mentally tougher. They're trained to stay in control.' GM Srinath Narayanan, captain and coach of the Indian men's team that won the gold medal at the 45th Chess Olympiad in Budapest, believes the rivalry, while compelling, is being shaped more by narratives than direct hostility. 'Carlsen tends to be blunt, and because he's Carlsen, everything he says is magnified,' he said. 'But I don't think he's targeting Gukesh personally. It's a rivalry like many others, made sharper because one is the World Champion, and the other is still the highest-rated player.' In Srinath's words, the current scenario reminds him of the early 2000s, when a young Carlsen was the challenger, taking on legends like Viswanathan Anand and Vladimir Kramnik. 'There was skepticism back then too. Now, Carlsen finds himself on the other side of that equation,' Srinath observed. 'In the chess world, Magnus is the benchmark for everyone. There's still a global belief that he's the best player out there. Maybe not forever, but certainly for now. I remember at the 2019 World Rapid and Blitz, he didn't do too well in the rapid, especially on day two. I played him that day and managed to beat him. But on day three, he started playing faster. He performed much better in the blitz that followed. That's Magnus,' he added. 'Carlsen's respect for Gukesh is probably only going to grow. Of course, it depends on how Gukesh develops. But in these situations, the younger player usually keeps rising while the older one gradually declines. At some point, Gukesh might well surpass Carlsen, though that still depends on many factors.' Carlsen may still be the GOAT, but Gukesh is getting ever closer to it. And the best part? He's doing it without any gimmick.
India Today
5 hours ago
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Magnus Carlsen wins Grand Chess Tour Zagreb: My B-game is enough
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen reacted to his SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz win in Croatia on Sunday, July 6. After the final standings of the tournament were made official, Carlsen said on social media that his 'B-game was enough' on days when others did not do something who lost the Rapid title in the competition to India's D. Gukesh, came back strongly in the Blitz section of the tournament, helping him win the combined title. He took a dig at his critics with a meme before deleting the nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough. Always striving for more though!' Magnus tweeted out for the second time after his win. Carlsen had earlier complained about not enjoying his chess during the Rapid round. Even after his win in Zagreb, Magnus sounded unconvinced, stating that it did not feel like he had won.'It doesn't feel like I've won, really. It feels like I just came here, played alright, and nobody really did anything special in the end, and then I usually end up winning!' Magnus told Take Take Take app in an his poor outing in Rapid, the Blitz portion brought a complete reversal of fortunes. Gukesh lost five of his first six Blitz games on Day 1, drawing one and winning just one. His rhythm was off, nerves visible, and the crisp precision of his Rapid games was nowhere to be found. A final-round loss to compatriot R. Praggnanandhaa capped a disappointing Blitz performance that saw him lose six games on the first day stark contrast, Carlsen unleashed what he later called a 'decisive' run, scoring 7.5/9 on the opening Blitz day to erase Gukesh's lead and seize control of the leaderboard.'I felt that I struggled most of the event. Partly because it was a very strong field this year. There weren't a lot of weaker players at all. It wasn't obvious who was going to score poorly and who was going to score well against the others. It felt like, especially in Rapid, chances were kind of hard to come by. I had one good day yesterday (the first day of the Blitz section on Saturday) and that turned out to be enough,' Carlsen told the broadcaster in an interview on the final went on to add: 'It speaks to the fact that it was a fairly even tournament overall. Nobody could really break away from the pack. It doesn't feel like I won. It feels like I just came here and played alright. Nobody really did anything special in the end. Then I usually end up winning,' he concluded.- EndsTrending Reel
First Post
6 hours ago
- First Post
'My B-game is usually enough': Magnus Carlsen reacts after dominating Grand Chess Tour 2025
Carlsen finished at the top of the leaderboard with 22.5 out of 36 points. He looked calm and confident throughout the tournament and defeated local boy Ivan Saric in the final round to win the trophy. read more Magnus Carlsen took the first place at the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz and won $40,000 prize money. Image: Grand Chess Tour Magnus Carlsen proved once again why he is considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. The former World Champion completely dominated the Super United Rapid and Blitz tournament in Zagreb, Croatia, winning the title with a round to spare. The tournament was part of the Grand Chess Tour 2025. Carlsen finished at the top of the leaderboard with 22.5 out of 36 points. He looked calm and confident throughout the tournament and defeated local boy Ivan Saric in the final round to win the trophy. After winning the title, Carlsen gave an honest reaction that caught everyone's attention. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Carlsen's first reaction after SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz win 'When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough. Always striving for more though!' the current World No. 1 wrote on X (formerly Twitter). When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough. Always striving for more though! — Magnus Carlsen (@MagnusCarlsen) July 6, 2025 Carlsen had finished third in the rapid section of the tournament held from 2 to 4 July. Current World Champion Dommaraju Gukesh had secured the first place with 14 out of 18 points in the rapid leg. Carlsen had just 10 points going into the blitz section of the Grand Chess Tour event. However, the five-time world champion made a remarkable comeback, scoring 12.5 points in the blitz section, which helped him finish at the top of the overall standings. Thanks to his victory, Carlsen won USD 40,000 as prize money out of the total pool of USD 1,75,000. American Grandmaster Wesley So finished second with 20 points and took home USD 30,000, while Gukesh won USD 25,000 after securing third place with 19.5 points. Gukesh edged Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland and Alireza Firouzja of France by just 0.5 points to secure the podium finish. SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia: Final standings 1. Carlsen (Norway, 22.5 points) 2. Wesley So (USA, 20 points) STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 3. D Gukesh (India, 19.5 points) 4-5. Duda Jan-Krzysztof (Poland), Alireza Firouzja (France) 19 points each 6. Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan, 18 points) 7-8. Fabiano Caruana (USA), Anish Giri (Netherlands) 17 points each 9. R Praggnanandhaa (India, 15 points) 10. Ivan Saric (Croatia, 13 points)
