Magnus Carlsen Causes Stir at FIDE World Blitz Championship After Losing Pieces on Board

Magnus Carlsen faced defeat for the second consecutive day at the FIDE World Blitz Championship, but this time his loss made headlines for dramatic reasons. In a tense moment against Armenian Grandmaster Hovhannes Martirosyan, Carlsen accidentally knocked over four chess pieces and pressed his clock before correcting them, resulting in a controversial loss.

Incident on the Board
The incident occurred on Tuesday, just a day after Carlsen had lost to Arjun Erigaisi due to misplacing his queen and running out of time. During his match against Martirosyan, Carlsen had only two seconds left on his clock when he accidentally toppled four pieces. Instead of fixing them properly, he pressed the clock, prompting Martirosyan to object and halt the game. Arbiter Chris Bird was called, and after a long discussion in which Carlsen participated, the world champion accepted the loss.

Rules Explanation and Reactions
The chief arbiter of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship, Nebosa Baralic, later explained that according to the rules, a player must correctly place pieces before pressing the clock. Carlsen had two seconds remaining while Martirosyan had ten. The tense situation drew attention from other grandmasters including Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi, Alexander Grischuk, and Wesley So, who watched Carlsen attempt to fix the pieces. Some, like Wesley So and Alireza Firouzja, reportedly laughed as Carlsen adjusted the pieces with both hands, which is generally against the one-hand rule for making moves and operating the clock.

Despite the mishap, Carlsen reportedly reassured Martirosyan, saying, “This isn’t your fault,” maintaining his sportsmanship even in defeat.

The incident highlights the high-pressure environment of blitz chess, where even world-class players can falter under the ticking clock.

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