After dropping a piece and failing to pick it up in time, world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen ran out of time and lost to Arjun Erigaisi at the 2025 World Blitz Chess Championship.
In Round 9, Carlsen had the white pieces against Erigaisi on board one. Both players were on 6.5 points and part of the leading group. Carlsen was worse in the middlegame but found a way to equalize. However, while making a pawn capture with very little time left, the world No. 1 dropped his own queen and did not manage to press the clock.
As Carlsen bent down to retrieve the queen, his time expired. He tried to stop the clock to pick up the piece but was too late. The Norwegian grandmaster reacted angrily, slamming his fist hard on the table. He then shook hands with Erigaisi and accepted the loss.
Under the rules of chess, a player who runs out of time loses the game unless the opponent has no possible way to deliver checkmate. In blitz games, losses on time are common. However, dropping a piece as Carlsen did is rare, especially in an otherwise balanced position.
This was not the first time Carlsen has slammed the table after a defeat. He has done so on several occasions, most notably in a game against World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju at the Norway Chess classical tournament in June 2025. That loss was also Carlsen’s first classical defeat to Gukesh, although the 35-year-old later went on to win the tournament.
The table-slamming moment at the World Blitz Championship came just a couple of days after another widely discussed incident involving Carlsen at the World Rapid Championship, when he pushed away a camera following a loss. After his defeat to Vladislav Artemiev in Doha, Carlsen reacted angrily as a cameraman followed him while he was leaving the playing hall, briefly shoving the camera aside.
The clip circulated rapidly online and sparked debate about emotional control, media pressure, and player privacy at elite tournaments. Together, the two incidents highlighted the intense psychological strain top players face across consecutive rapid and blitz events, where mistakes are costly and recovery time is minimal. Despite the attention generated by both moments, tournament officials confirmed that no formal complaints were filed and no disciplinary action was taken.
Organizers described Carlsen’s reactions as emotional responses rather than unsporting behavior, noting that high-stakes matches and constant media presence can amplify frustration. Carlsen continued competing in both championships, remaining in contention despite the scrutiny.
The 2025 World Blitz Chess Championship is being held on December 29 and 30 in Qatar, with 252 players competing in a 19-round Swiss system. The top four finishers qualify for the semifinals.
The first day featured 13 rounds and did not go smoothly for Carlsen, who scored only 9 points and was placed 11th. He also suffered a loss to Fabiano Caruana in Round 12 due to a lapse in concentration. Carlsen failed to notice that his rook was under attack, lost it outright, and immediately resigned. When he realized what had happened, Carlsen jerked back in his chair, visibly shocked.
If the semifinals had started immediately after Round 13, as in previous editions, Carlsen would have been eliminated. However, this year the event was expanded to 19 rounds before the semifinals. The Norwegian still has six games left to improve his standing and keep his hopes of defending the title alive.
After the first day on December 29, three players were tied for the lead on 10 points: Erigaisi, Fabiano Caruana, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave. A chasing group of six players followed on 9.5 points. In the group on 9 points, Carlsen was ranked just behind Nodirbek Abdusattorov.
Watch the 2025 World Blitz Championship live here
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