What should have been a pure celebration of chess greatness has taken an ugly detour. After D Gukesh, the reigning world champion, delivered a stunning defeat to Magnus Carlsen, the five-time world champ and national hero of Norway, racist commentary began to flood the internet, dimming the brilliance of the young Indian prodigy’s victory.
The moment itself was electric. In a tense endgame during the Norway Chess tournament in Stavanger, Carlsen blundered, something fans seldom witness from the Norwegian grandmaster. Frustrated, Carlsen banged the table, pieces scattered, and as he stood up, he reportedly muttered “Oh my God.” The stunned silence was broken by applause, not for Carlsen, but for Gukesh, who had just pulled off one of the most talked-about upsets in modern chess history.
But the celebratory video, posted on the official Norway Chess TikTok, took a disturbing turn in the comments section. Amid the praise for Gukesh, some users unleashed blatantly racist remarks, including one suggesting Carlsen had been distracted by the “curry scent.”
The comment, liked by thousands and pinned among the top responses, prompted social media users to demand answers. One user on X (formerly Twitter) questioned why Norway Chess had allowed such remarks to remain unchecked. The tweet quickly went viral, crossing 364K views, as netizens flooded in to condemn the lack of moderation.
Another X user sarcastically dismissed the curry comment, suggesting Gukesh’s diet of pappu and avakaya probably elevated his mental game, while also urging the young champ to rise above the hate. Yet another user pointed out the issue was not subtle, it was “blatant racism”, plain and simple.
Some even turned the tables, trolling Carlsen for his reaction. “White players cannot handle losing,” one commenter said bluntly. Others accused Norway Chess of turning a blind eye to the hate, saying no amount of complaints would change the system unless organisers step up.
While Gukesh remains silent on the backlash, the incident has sparked a wider discussion on racism in global sports and the responsibility of tournament organisers to uphold decency, not just on the board, but across platforms.
Chess is often praised as the great equaliser of minds, but it seems the internet still has a long way to go.