Chess Chaos in Doha
Magnus Carlsen's Wild Ride from Flop to Semi-Final Phenom
From slamming tables like a frustrated rockstar to forfeiting games amid flying pieces, Carlsen's rollercoaster performance had everyone on the edge of their seats, and probably chuckling a bit too.
In a day that had more twists than a knight's path on a crowded board, Magnus Carlsen, the Norwegian grandmaster and undisputed GOAT of the game, turned what looked like a total blitz bust into a heroic comeback at the FIDE World Blitz Championship 2025.
The drama kicked off in the early rounds of the final day, where Carlsen, fresh off clinching his sixth World Rapid title just days ago with a dominant 10.5/13 score, seemed to hit a blitz-sized wall.
After a shocking loss to India's rising star Arjun Erigaisi in round nine, where Carlsen blundered under time pressure and let out a table-slamming outburst that went viral, the champ plummeted to a lowly 23rd place midway through the 19-round Swiss tournament.
Ouch! Even fellow pros like Levon Aronian called it "unsportsmanlike," but hey, when you're the world No. 1, the pressure's as intense as a queen sacrifice.
In true Carlsen fashion (think: chess wizard meets comeback kid), the 35-year-old rallied like a boss, rattling off five straight wins in the final rounds to claw his way back to third place with around 14/19 points.
Not without more fireworks, though: In round 14 against Armenia's Haik Martirosyan, pieces went flying in a frantic time scramble, and Carlsen hit the clock too late after resetting, resulting in a forfeit loss.
"Pieces flying, nerves high," one X post quipped, summing up the sheer pandemonium.
By the end of the Swiss, Carlsen secured a spot in the top four for the knockout semis, joining India's Arjun Erigaisi (who topped with a stellar 15/19), USA's Fabiano Caruana, and Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
The pairings? Erigaisi vs. Abdusattorov in one semi, and a mouthwatering Carlsen vs. Caruana clash in the other—best-of-four matches that promise more nail-biters than a horror movie marathon.
Social media exploded with reactions: "GREATEST OF ALL TIME" gushed one fan on X, while others joked about Carlsen's "table tantrum" becoming the new chess trend.
And let's not forget the Indian pride swelling as Erigaisi not only beat Carlsen but surged to the lead, proving chess's new era is as global as it gets.
As the semis kick off this afternoon, all eyes are on whether Carlsen can channel his inner zen (or at least keep the table intact) to snag his eighth Blitz crown. Will he reign supreme, or will the underdogs steal the show?