Magnus Carlsen's Fiery Exit: Chess Champion's Frustration in Qatar

Magnus Carlsen, former world chess champion, expressed his frustration by pushing away a camera after his loss to Vladislav Artemiev at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships in Qatar. Despite the incident, Carlsen remains in contention for the title, currently in joint second place.

In a striking moment at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, former world champion Magnus Carlsen pushed away a camera after losing to Vladislav Artemiev in Qatar. It was a moment emblematic of Carlsen's mounting frustrations during a challenging tournament run.

Carlsen, who has held the world champion title from 2013 to 2023, had a notably difficult day. A missed opportunity against Maxime Vachier-Lagrave was followed by a defeat at the hands of Artemiev, prompting Carlsen to react by pushing a photographer's camera away as he exited the venue.

The incident followed other recent displays of exasperation, such as his fist-slam at the 2025 Norway Chess tournament and his brief departure from the World Rapid and Blitz Championships last year over a dress code breach. FIDE has stated they will review Saturday's incident if a formal complaint is filed, but as of now, Carlsen continues his pursuit of the championship title, tied for second place with seven points.

(With inputs from agencies.)