**Carlsen** and **Gukesh** Trade Barbs, Then Top Day 1 Leaderboard

Before facing off at the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025, **Magnus Carlsen** publicly questioned **Gukesh**’s ability in shorter time control chess. Ironically, after the first day, both players emerged as joint leaders.

Pre-Tournament Jabs

**Carlsen**’s statements precede the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia 2025. This event marks their first encounter since the Norway Chess tournament, where **Carlsen**’s frustration led to a memorable table smashing incident after a loss to the young Indian grandmaster.

Speaking to event organizers, **Carlsen** stated, “Gukesh hasn’t done anything to indicate that he’s going to do well in such a tournament.” These remarks highlight **Carlsen**’s skepticism regarding **Gukesh**’s prowess in rapid and blitz formats.

**Gukesh**’s Strong Start

**Gukesh** defied **Carlsen**’s expectations by winning two games on Wednesday. His victories included defeating **Alireza Firouzja**, who **Carlsen** had earlier identified as a favorite, and fellow Indian player **Praggnanandhaa**, a three-time titleholder this year.

Despite his initial doubts, **Carlsen** acknowledged **Gukesh**’s previous performance at the event, saying, “Gukesh actually played quite well here last time.” However, he maintained that **Gukesh** still needed to prove himself in such a strong field.

According to Chess.com, **Gukesh** is currently ranked 7th in the world in rapid chess, showcasing his potential in the format Chess.com 2024.

Tournament Details

The SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz Croatia is the third stage of the 2025 Grand Chess Tour. The impressive lineup also includes **Nodirbek Abdusattorov**, **Fabiano Caruana**, **Wesley So**, **Jan-Krzysztof Duda**, and **Ivan Saric**.

Players will compete in nine rapid rounds and eighteen blitz rounds. **Carlsen** and **Gukesh** are scheduled to face each other once in rapid and twice in blitz. Their first rapid game will take place on Thursday, with blitz games following.

Table Talk

Reflecting on the table smashing incident, **Garry Kasparov** jokingly suggested that “heavier tables” would be needed in Zagreb. When asked if he would test the tables, **Carlsen** responded with a smile, “No, I plan to make good moves so that those gestures won’t be necessary.”

**Carlsen**, fresh from his honeymoon with his wife **Ella**, also mentioned that he considers players like **Caruana** and **Firouzja** to be among the favorites for the tournament.

When questioned regarding the memes that emerged after his loss, **Carlsen** stated, “I haven’t seen any memes. I mean, for me, it was a painful loss for sure… I would have much preferred to win the game the way that I should. I think overall it’s good for publicity is good for chess, but no, I don’t go around looking out for those things.”