Magnus Carlsen Claims Zagreb Grand Chess Tour Title, Downplays Victory with "B-Game" Remark

Magnus Carlsen, the world's top-ranked chess player, secured the SuperUnited Rapid and Blitz combined title in Zagreb, Croatia. Following his victory, Carlsen took to social media, remarking that his "B-game" was enough to outshine the competition.

Carlsen's statement came after a tournament where he faced stiff competition, particularly from India's D. Gukesh in the Rapid segment. However, a strong showing in the Blitz portion allowed Carlsen to overtake Gukesh and claim the overall title.

Magnus Carlsen makes bold claim after Zagreb win. (PTI Photo)

Addressing his performance, Carlsen tweeted, "When nobody else has a great performance, my B-game is usually enough. Always striving for more though!"

Rapid Round Struggles and Blitz Rebound

Carlsen had previously expressed dissatisfaction with his play during the Rapid round. Even after winning the tournament, he conveyed a sense of understatement.

"It doesn’t feel like I’ve won, really. It feels like I just came here, played alright, and nobody really did anything special in the end, and then I usually end up winning!" Carlsen remarked in an interview.

The Blitz portion of the tournament witnessed a significant shift in momentum. Gukesh, who had shone in the Rapid games, experienced a slump, losing five of his first six Blitz games on Day 1.

Conversely, Carlsen delivered a performance he described as "decisive," securing 7.5/9 on the first Blitz day. This surge allowed him to erase Gukesh's lead and take control of the leaderboard.

“I felt that I struggled most of the event. Partly because it was a very strong field this year. There weren’t a lot of weaker players at all. It wasn’t obvious who was going to score poorly and who was going to score well against the others. It felt like, especially in Rapid, chances were kind of hard to come by. I had one good day yesterday (the first day of the Blitz section on Saturday) and that turned out to be enough,” Carlsen stated.

He further added, "It speaks to the fact that it was a fairly even tournament overall. Nobody could really break away from the pack. It doesn’t feel like I won. It feels like I just came here and played alright. Nobody really did anything special in the end. Then I usually end up winning."