Magnus Carlsen's 'Dominance' Questionable, Says Garry Kasparov After Gukesh's Win At Croatia
Defending world champion D. Gukesh delivered a stunning performance on Thursday by defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the sixth round of the Grand Chess Tour, held in Zagreb, Croatia.
The 18-year-old Indian, who began the day as a joint leader, now stands alone at the top of the standings with 10 points after his impressive win over the Norwegian star.
Prior to facing Carlsen, Gukesh had already made a strong statement in rounds four and five, notching wins against Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov and American Grandmaster Fabiano Caruana. These victories set the stage for his much-anticipated encounter with the five-time world champion.
A Landmark Victory in Rapid Format
While Gukesh had previously stunned Carlsen at the classical Norway Chess tournament, this result arguably carries even greater significance. This time, Carlsen had the advantage of the white pieces and was playing in rapid format—a time control that Gukesh has traditionally found more challenging.
Kasparov as Gukesh beats Carlsen: 'A very important day! Now we can question Magnus' domination. It's not just the second loss, it's a very convincing loss!" #GrandChessTour pic.twitter.com/N63zPXk1Qm — chess24 (@chess24com) July 3, 2025
'Now we can question Magnus' domination," said former world champion Garry Kasparov, who provided commentary during the official broadcast. 'This is not just his second loss to Gukesh, it's a convincing loss. It's not a miracle or that Gukesh benefitted from terrible mistakes. It was a real fight. And Magnus lost."
In the lead-up to the tournament, Carlsen appeared to underestimate Gukesh's ability in rapid chess.
'Gukesh hasn't done anything to indicate that he's going to do well (in rapid and blitz)," Carlsen had said. 'It remains to be proven that he's one of the best players in such a format. This is a very, very strong field. Players like Gukesh have a lot to prove. In the course of 27 rounds, things usually show. I hope for Gukesh's sake that he can play better."
Over the course of six rounds in just two days, Gukesh has more than proven himself.
After a shaky start in the first round—losing to Jan-Krzysztof Duda, who served as his second during the World Championship—Gukesh rebounded emphatically. He went on to defeat four of the strongest players in the field consecutively: Alireza Firouzja, R. Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, and Caruana, before his decisive win against Carlsen.
Kasparov, analyzing the match, called Carlsen's performance in the tournament 'shaky" and heaped praise on Gukesh's mental fortitude.
'His resilience reminds me of computers. With computers, if you lose concentration, you're done. Gukesh is the kind of player you have to beat multiple times… Carlsen came here looking for revenge after Norway Chess, and that's never a good mindset."
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