Slamming The Table: A History Of Grandmaster Collapses
Did you see Magnus Carlsen's dramatic outburst against world champion Gukesh Dommaraju?
A seething Magnus Carlsen slammed his fist into a table after suffering his first defeat to world champion Gukesh Dommaraju in a classical game https://t.co/ADGiRbT7Ju pic.twitter.com/YrvSkCD53z
— Reuters Sports (@ReutersSports) June 2, 2025
It's hard to blame Carlsen for his emotional reaction to his loss. He had just blundered away a game that he had been winning for many moves.
Carlsen wasn't the first world-class player to blunder at a critical moment of an important classical game. Check out the five most critical collapses in classical events throughout the history of the game!
- Akobian vs. Caruana, 2017
- Bronstein vs. Botvinnik, 1951
- Petrosian vs. Bronstein, 1956
- Topalov vs. Kramnik, 2006
- Chigorin vs. Steinintz, 1892
Akobian vs. Caruana, US Championship, 2017
Heading into the 2017 US Chess Championship, GM Fabiano Caruana was the defending champion and one of the favorites. However, he finished a half-point short of first place. If he had been able to win a position, ahead by two passed pawns against GM Varuzhan Akobian, he likely would have won the tournament. Instead, after pressing for many moves, he blundered in time trouble and lost the game.
You can see the critical moments and hear the shocked commentary team.
Even the winner, Akobian, was a bit shocked. At the time, he admitted: "it's unbelievable to win this game."
Bronstein vs. Botvinnik, World Championship, 1951
In 1951, GM David Bronstein was the young challenger against GM Mikhail Botvinnik, the defending champion. The match ended in a tie, which, according to the rules at the time, meant Botvinnik won the championship and denied Bronstein his only shot at the title. The result would likely have been different if Bronstein had held a simple ending in the sixth game.
Bronstein explained that "I accidentally touch my king. I was forced to move it.... After the reply, I stopped the clocks with a smile, avoiding making any tragedy out of what had happened: I always knew how to resign and I regard this as an integral quality of a real chess player." Perhaps this was the most significant touch-move blunder ever played.
I always knew how to resign and I regard this as an integral quality of a real chess player.
— David Bronstein
Petrosian vs. Bronstein, Candidates Tournament, 1956
The 1956 Candidates Tournament must have been a disappointment for both GMs Tigran Petrosian and Bronstein. Bronstein had won the event six years earlier, and Petrosian would win it six years later. Yet, in 1956, both of them finished two points behind GM Vasily Smyslov, who went on to become the world champion.
Petrosian would have made it a closer finish if he had converted a dominant position against Bronstein in round two. He had been walking around the playing hall, enjoying his game, when he came back to the board and moved quickly, without even sitting down, not realizing that Black's last move attacked the white queen.
It was a tough moment for Petrosian and arguably the most shocking blunder in the history of the world championship cycle.
Topalov vs. Kramnik, World Championship, 2006
After more than a decade of a split world championship title, the two players with claims to the crown, GMs Vladimir Kramnik and Veselin Topalov, met in a match to unify the chess world. Kramnik won the first game, but in game two, Topalov, a renowned attacking player, launched a powerful assault on Kramnik's king. Just when it broke through, Topalov missed a direct win and even went on to lose a chaotic game.
The emotional outbursts in this match were channeled through formal complaints. After game four, Topalov's manager accused Kramnik of using computer assistance in the restroom, leading to protests, controversy, and Kramnik refusing to attend the fifth game. Despite the forfeited game, Kramnik still won the match in tiebreaks.
Chigorin vs. Steinitz, World Championship, 1892
The most significant blunder in chess history occurred as early as the fourth official world championship match, way back in 1892. Wilhelm Steinitz was the reigning champion and could clinch match victory with a win in the 23rd game. However, he made an unsound knight sacrifice against Mikhail Chigorin and was moments from facing a tied match with just one game remaining. Shockingly, Chigorin moved the piece that prevented checkmate, instantly losing the game and allowing Steinitz to keep his title.
The Cuban press reported at the time that "More than a thousand people were present, and all were discussing Chigorin's brilliant play. At any minute, Steinitiz's resignation was expected. Suddenly there was an extraordinary commotion: the spectators stood up, and they all saw how the Russian master, nervy, with a changed face, was holding his head in his hands."
At any minute, Steinitiz's resignation was expected. Suddenly there was an extraordinary commotion: the spectators stood up, and they all saw how the Russian master, nervy, with a changed face, was holding his head in his hands
— Cuban press
Chigorin didn't slam down the table like Carlsen did, but the emotions of blundering in a winning position have certainly not changed in all of these years.
Have you ever blundered in a critical moment? How did you react? Let us know in the comments!
