'Magnus is very influential': Carlsen faces scrutiny over table slam incidents against Gukesh and Arjun

Magnus Carlsen isn’t one to hold himself back when it comes to public statements, going to the extent of feuding with FIDE, or when it comes to expressing himself during a game of chess – especially after ending up on the losing side. The world No 1, after all, had lost his cool and slammed his fist on the table after suffering a stunning defeat against world champion D Gukesh at Norway Chess in June.

Six months after the incident in his home event, Carlsen produced an encore of the infamous post-match outburst during the World Rapid and Blitz Championships in Doha, where he ended up winning gold in both formats. What was interesting was that the latest flare-up was also the result of a defeat against an Indian Grandmaster – national No 1 Arjun Erigaisi in this case.

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It’s also worth noting that the incident involving Arjun wasn’t the only time the five-time world champion was involved in a controversy during the tournament – there were multiple incidents of a similar nature involving Carlsen during the year-ending tournament in the Qatari capital.

The table-slam incidents against Gukesh and Arjun are among several other instances of Carlsen losing his cool and venting loudly, to the point where it could affect the focus of other players at the venue.

Srinath question Carlsen’s behaviour, FIDE’s response

Indian GM Srinath Narayanan, Gukesh’s former coach who was part of the Indian contingent that won a historic double gold in the 2024 Chess Olympiad, believes that while emotions are good for sports including chess, such behaviour could have a negative impact on young children who look up to him as a role model.

“A certain kind of expression of emotion is good for chess. We need those expressions because people generally don’t see what is happening to a chess player’s mind,” Narayanan told The Indian Express.

“The danger… is that people perceive it to be something cool. And Magnus is very influential… kids look up to him,” he added.

Veteran Armenian-American GM Levon Aronian had earlier slammed Carlsen for “normalising tantrums” in chess.

“I don’t think we should be normalising tantrums like that. It does affect players who are in the middle of a game who hear loud noises. In many sports such acts are penalized as unsportsmanlike behavior in order to send a message to younger athletes,” Aronian wrote in a post on X recently.

Despite the concerns surrounding his behaviour at the playing venue and how he conducts himself with regards to his public statements, Carlsen remains head and shoulders above everyone else – which can be ascertained from the fact that he remains No 1 in the FIDE Classical ratings despite being semi-retired in the format for more than two years now.