India, July 5 -- Magnus Carlsen was left swallowing his own words during the ongoing Grand Chess Tour, after reigning world champion D Gukesh defeated him in their Round 6 showdown. Ahead of their face-off, Carlsen had questioned Gukesh's status, and criticised his capabilities in rapid and blitz formats.

Speaking after the defeat, Carlsen took a step back from his usual criticism of Gukesh and praised the Indian GM. Speaking to Take Take Take, he said, "Yeah, he's doing incredibly well. incredibly well now. So, you know, it's a long way to go in the tournament, but, you know, winning five games in a row is no mean feat."

"Honestly, I am not enjoying playing chess at all right now. I don't feel any flow at all when I'm playing. I'm cons...