The 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament produced a memorable moment that went viral, not because of a stunning chess play, but due to Magnus Carlsen’s reaction to a loss. After a shocking defeat to Indian player D Gukesh, Carlsen expressed his frustration by slamming the table, an action that was filmed and quickly spread online. The game, from round six, resulted in Gukesh, then 17, achieving a dominating win over the five-time world champion. While the chess world was surprised by the result, it was Carlsen’s outburst that went viral. The video quickly became the subject of countless memes and video edits. Gukesh responded to the viral moment, stating, “I was laughing for like 10 minutes.” He particularly enjoyed a meme that depicted a cat reacting to Carlsen’s table slam. Gukesh’s career has continued to flourish since that day. He is now the World Chess Champion, the youngest in history to achieve this. With a FIDE rating of 2750 at 17, he is the youngest to reach that rating and the third-youngest to exceed 2700 Elo.
