Magnus Carlsen's recent performances have been a mixed bag, marked by both victories and surprising losses, particularly against Indian Grandmaster D. Gukesh. At the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz Croatia 2025 in Zagreb, Carlsen initially suffered a defeat to Gukesh in the rapid format. This loss was particularly significant as it came shortly after Gukesh had also defeated Carlsen at the Norway Chess 2025 tournament. Gukesh's victory in Zagreb propelled him to the sole lead in the tournament with 10 points.

Before their match in Zagreb, Carlsen had made headlines with comments suggesting Gukesh still needed to prove himself in the rapid format. Carlsen stated he would approach the game as if he were playing "one of the presumably weaker players". However, Gukesh defied these expectations, securing his fifth consecutive win at the tournament by defeating Carlsen.

Despite the initial setback, Carlsen rebounded in the blitz portion of the SuperUnited Rapid & Blitz event. He managed to defeat Gukesh, reclaiming the lead in the tournament. However, Carlsen's assessment of his own play was far from celebratory. After beating Gukesh in the blitz game, Carlsen said, "I think the game itself was kind of rubbish. I was really just playing old man's chess, trying to play without tactics whatsoever. But it worked out, so I can't complain".

Carlsen's struggles continued into the later rounds of the blitz tournament. In Round 8, he faced another Indian player, Praggnanandhaa R, who managed to defeat Gukesh in the final round of the day. Carlsen himself had a strong showing on the first day of the blitz, with an unbeaten 7.5/9 run, which allowed him to move into the sole lead with 17.5 points.

Gukesh's initial victory over Carlsen in the rapid format was particularly noteworthy because Carlsen had an advantage early in the game. Carlsen chose the English Opening, but Gukesh found a way to counterattack. Carlsen was under a minute in a very tense position. After the game, Carlsen admitted that Gukesh had capitalized on his chances, leaving him "hopelessly lost" at one point.

Gukesh's performance earned high praise from Garry Kasparov, who suggested that Carlsen's dominance could now be questioned. Kasparov noted that Gukesh's win was not just a second loss for Carlsen, but a "very convincing loss!".

Carlsen, on the other hand, expressed his lack of enjoyment in playing chess recently, stating, "Honestly, I am not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I just, I don't feel any flow at all when I'm playing. I'm constantly hesitating and it's just really poor right now".