Magnus Carlsen loses cool again after defeat to Arjun Erigaisi

Arjun Erigaisi, the  22-year-old Indian Grandmaster, defeated five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen in the 9th round of the World Blitz Championship in Doha, which pushed Carlsen to 6th position in the standings.

The victory helped Erigaisi reach the top of the table alongside Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdussatorov. The Indian GM also defeated Abdussatorov in the 10th round.

After his defeat in the ninth round, Carlsen was visibly disappointed and punched the table in anger. A video of the incident has gone viral on social media.

Who is Arjun Erigaisi?

Arjun Erigaisi, from Telangana, started his chess career at a very young age and became a grandmaster at 14 years.

In 2024, he became the top-rated Indian player in September and achieved his highest-ever rating of 2801 in December. He became only the second Indian player to cross the 2800 rating mark after Viswanathan Anand.

Arjun vs Magnus Carlsen

In 2025, during the Norway Chess Tournament, Erigaisi had defeated Carlsen in a championship match. He once again defeated Carlsen in the World Blitz Championship in December 2025.

In the previous championship, Arjun clinched the bronze medal. This time, he has a strong chance of winning gold, with the grand finale scheduled for Tuesday.

Carlsen’s anger back in spotlight

Carlsen is known for his difficulty in handling defeat. After losing to Erigaisi, he slammed his hand on the table in frustration.Earlier in June 2025, Carlsen had displayed similar behaviour after losing to India’s D Gukesh. Additionally, during the rapid section of this tournament, he pushed a camera after losing to a Russian player.

World Blitz Championship standings

After losing to Erigaisi, Carlsen slipped to 6th position, tied with leading title contender GM Alireza Firouzja and India’s Sunilduth Narayanan. Meanwhile, Erigaisi is at the top of the table with eight wins, two draws, and one loss. He is jointly leading with Nodirbek Abdussatorov of Uzbekistan.

Other top players, including R Praggnanandhaa and reigning classical world champion D Gukesh, are placed further down with 7.5 points, part of a group of 21 players tied for 14th position.