Magnus Carlsen sparked controversy at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2025 in Doha after shoving a cameraman following a rare loss. The incident adds to the Norwegian star’s history of clashes with FIDE, including the infamous jeansgate episode in New York.
Magnus Carlsen once again found himself at the centre of controversy during the ongoing FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship 2025 in Doha after an angry reaction following a rare defeat. The Norwegian superstar, who is known for his intense competitiveness, appeared to lose his temper after losing a game and was caught on camera shoving a cameraman while walking out of the playing hall.
The incident took place in the seventh round of the Rapid section, where Carlsen suffered his first loss of the tournament. He was outplayed by Russian grandmaster Vladislav Artemiev in a tense encounter. After resigning and shaking hands, Carlsen quickly picked up his blazer and walked away from the board in visible frustration.
Carlsen’s reaction goes viral
As Carlsen was leaving the hall, a FIDE cameraman moved in to take a close-up shot. In an angry moment, Carlsen pushed the camera aside and continued walking out. The clip has since gone viral on social media after FIDE shared on X, sparking fresh debate about the former world champion’s behaviour.
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🇳🇴 Magnus Carlsen lost to Vladislav Artemiev in Round 7 of the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha.#RapidBlitz pic.twitter.com/R52fPBjUYz
— International Chess Federation (@FIDE_chess) December 27, 2025
This is not the first time Carlsen has courted controversy at the World Rapid and Blitz Championship. Last year in New York, he was involved in what came to be known as the ‘jeansgate’ incident. Carlsen was publicly reprimanded by FIDE officials for wearing jeans instead of formal attire during a Rapid round. He was fined and asked to change immediately but refused and walked out of the venue, later withdrawing from the Rapid event altogether.
Carlsen strongly criticised FIDE’s handling of the situation but returned for the Blitz section, where he eventually shared the title with Ian Nepomniachtchi. Despite the controversy, Carlsen returned this year for the Doha edition. During a pre-tournament press conference, the current world No. 1 said his relationship with FIDE is “not great” and that he only came because of his personal equation with the event organisers.
As far as the ongoing World Rapid Championship is concerned, Carlsen finished Day 1 on top with 4.5 points from five rounds. India’s D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Vladislav Artemiev also shared the lead with the same number of points in the Open section.
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