In May 2025, at Norway Chess, something happened that hadn’t in years: the reigning World Champion, 18-year-old Gukesh D., faced Magnus Carlsen in classical chess — the high-stakes format where reputations are built. Carlsen, the face of modern chess and world #1, gave up his title by choice. Gukesh claimed it. Now they meet for the first time — a clash of generations, styles, and visions of the future. Who truly defines greatness: the titleholder or the player everyone still fears?
But the episode goes beyond the board. As the game speeds up with blitz, rapid, and AI-driven prep, a 56-year-old legend delivers a surprise performance that challenges everything we think we know about age and competition.
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Media Attribution Photos Emanuel Lasker – Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00457 / CC BY-SA 3.0 DE José Raúl Capablanca – Keystone-France Tigran Petrosian – Harry Pot / Anefo Boris Spassky – Rob Bogaerts / Anefo Bobby Fischer – Bert Verhoeff for Anefo. Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945–1989, Access No. 2.24.01.05, Image No. 925-3512 6. Anatoly Karpov – Author: Veni Markovski. licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 Alexander Alekhine – George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress), derivative work Max Euwe – Hans van Dijk / Anefo Mikhail Botvinnik – Harry Pot / Anefo. Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945–1989.CC BY-SA 3.0 NL Boris Spassky – Rob Bogaerts / Anefo Anatoly Karpov – Rob Croes / Anefo Garry Kasparov CC BY 4.0, © European Union, 2025 Magnus Carlsen – FIDE / Lennart Ootes Vassily Ivanchuk – V. Levittin, Novosti Press; reproduced via Douglass Griffin Vassily Ivanchuk – reproduced via Douglass Griffin Vassily Ivanchuk – reproduced via Frederic Friedel Magnus Carlsen – FIDE / Niki Riga Mishra_Abhimanyu FIDE / Anna_Shtourman Flickr Jovanka Houska – Andreas Kontokanis, CC BY 2.0,
Jovanka Houska – Egil Arne, CC BY-SA 3.0 Jovanka Houska – GFHund, CC BY 3.0 Jovanka Houska – Stefan 64, CC BY-SA 4.0 23. Stavanger Ukjent/Norsk Oljemuseum Stavanger Ukjent/Norsk Oljemuseum Anish Sarkar / Lennart Ootes 26. Vassily Ivanchuk FIDE / Lennart Ootes Vassily Ivanchuk FIDE / Maria Emelianova Video * Video excerpt courtesy of ChessBase India, “Indian super prodigies Nihal, Pragg and Gukesh in action”* Video excerpt courtesy of ChessBase India, “Doesn’t Gukesh deserve better? Video excerpt courtesy of ChessBase India, “That awkward moment when the game is over and you don’t know what to say! Gukesh vs Srinath”* Video excerpt courtesy of Main Island Production (2016), taken from the trailer for the film “Prince of Chess” directed by Øyvind Von Doren Asbjørnsen. Full film available at: http://www.princeofchess.com * Video excerpt courtesy of chess24, “The Magnus Carlsen Story – Part 1: Childhood”* Video excerpt courtesy of Sýn (previously Channel 2), “Bobby Fischer Airplane Interview Full”, “20250707 Jovanka Interview 4” Video excerpt courtesy of 64 squares, “2013 Candidates tournament was INSANEEEEE” Video excerpt courtesy of World Chess, “Ivanchuk plays CHECKERS! (Best Ivanchuk video ever) “The legendary Vasyl Ivanchuk meets the world #1, Magnus Carlsen, in Round 5! #FIDEWorldCup”, “Vassily Ivanchuk Jumps After Checkmates Magnus Carlsen ! “Interview with GM Vasyl Ivanchuk, Ukraine | World Team Ch -* Video excerpt courtesy of Professional Chess Association (PCA), Video excerpt courtesy of Bartek Spitza, “The Fascinating Programming of a Chess Engine”* Video excerpt courtesy of Netflix, “THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT Trailer (NEW 2020) Anya Taylor-Joy, Netflix Series”, Video excerpt courtesy of Chess24, “Magnus Carlsen: I Will NOT PLAY in WORLD CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP”, Video excerpt courtesy of PineconeAI, “7Bot Desktop Robot Arm playing chess with human”Chess 24, TakeTakeTakeApp, “Norway Chess 2025 was ABSOLUTE CINEMAAAAA” Video excerpt courtesy of ChessBaseIndia, “Bro thinks he is Magnus Carlsen #chess#magnuscarlsen#gukesh”* Video excerpt courtesy of ChessBaseIndia, Magnus Carlsen, “The World’s Most Arrogant Chess Player” Video excerpt courtesy of InfoJelly, “How did Gukesh reply to Magnus “weak player” remark at Croatia?”* Video excerpt courtesy of The International Chess Federation (FIDE), “OH MY GOD! Harikrishna slammed the table!”* Video excerpt courtesy of ChessBaseIndia, “The most emotional moment for Vasyl Ivanchuk | Ivanchuk vs Naroditsky | World Blitz 2024”* Video excerpt courtesy of WION, “Magnus Carlsen Meets 3-Year-Old Chess Prodigy Anish Sarkar | WION Fineprint”