Magnus Carlsen, the reigning chess icon, candidly admitted, "Honestly, I’m not enjoying playing chess at all right now," after suffering a second rapid-format loss to India’s D. Gukesh at the Grand Chess Tour in Zagreb.

Carlsen has faced consecutive defeats from Gukesh - first at the Norway Chess classical event (where he emotionally slammed the table in frustration) and now in rapid play. Post-game, he described his performance as “really poor,” noting he “constantly [hesitates]” and has “no flow” during play.

On Reddit, users echoed the sentiment. One comment captured Carlsen’s mood: "Honestly am not enjoying playing chess at all right now… I’m constantly hesitating and it’s just really poor right now."

Despite Carlsen’s struggles, he acknowledged Gukesh’s strong performance and accepted blame for his mistakes, particularly under time pressure . The defeat highlights a surprising shift: Gukesh now leads the tournament, while Carlsen wrestles with what may be a momentary slump - or a deeper drop in motivation.

As the event moves into blitz, all eyes will be on whether Carlsen can regain his form and enjoyment - or if Gukesh’s rise marks a changing of the guard.