Watch: Magnus Carlsen Pushes Cameraman After Losing FIDE World Rapid Championship Match
World No.1 and five-time world rapid champion Magnus Carlsen made headlines after he faced a shocking defeat against Russian Grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev.
World No. 1 and five-time World Rapid Champion Magnus Carlsen made headlines after suffering a shocking defeat against Russian Grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev in the FIDE World Rapid Championship on Saturday. In Round 7, Artemiev outplayed Carlsen in a game where the world's top-rated player committed a grave mistake on move 15, which proved costly. This victory propelled Artemiev to 6.5 points, a full point ahead of the field. Following the loss, Carlsen was visibly upset and stormed out of the playing hall.
A video going viral on social media shows Carlsen being chased by a cameraman as he exited the venue. In a fit of rage, the Norwegian pushed the cameraperson away, expressing his frustration.
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 27, 2025
🇳🇴 Magnus Carlsen lost to Vladislav Artemiev in Round 7 of the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha.#RapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/R52fPBjUYz
After a strong start with 4.5/5 on Day 1, Carlsen's performance dipped on Day 2. In Round 6, he played the Sicilian against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave but soon found himself saddled with tripled pawns on the e-file, spending considerable time searching for the right moves. After testing Carlsen for a few moves, Vachier-Lagrave agreed to split the point.
Carlsen bounced back in Round 8 with a win against Armenian GM Shant Sargsyan, and in the final round of the day, he held an advantage on time against US GM Ray Robson. With two straight victories, Carlsen joined a group of four players on seven points.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Koneru Humpy displayed her trademark composure and tenacity to remain in joint lead in the women's section, while Indian stars D. Gukesh and Arjun Erigaisi stayed in contention in the Open category on Day 2.
With three more rounds to go in the women's section on Sunday, Humpy shared the lead with China's Zhu Jiner on 6.5 points out of a possible eight. The duo was closely followed by as many as 10 players on six points, including India's Dronavalli Harika.
(With PTI inputs)