Magnus Carlsen blames opponent's wristwatch for Qatar Masters Chess event loss

Five-time world chess champion Magnus Carlsen faced defeat in the Qatar Masters chess event, and his adversary was not a fellow grandmaster's prowess, but an unexpected opponent: a wristwatch. The 23-year-old Kazakh Grandmaster, Alisher Suleymenov, emerged victorious in a game that has the chess world buzzing, leaving Carlsen complaining on X about his opponent’s watch.

Carlsen's admission, made on X, has ignited discussions in the chess community, raising questions about the impact of external distractions in high-stake matches.

"I was completely crushed in my game today. This is not to accuse my opponent of anything, who played an amazing game and deserved to win, but honestly, as soon as I saw my opponent was wearing a watch early in the game, I lost my ability to concentrate," Carlsen wrote.

“I obviously take responsibility for my inability to deal with those thoughts properly, but it’s also incredibly frustrating to see organisers still not taking anti-cheating seriously at all (no transmission delay, spectators walking around the playing hall with smartphones),” he added.
He also expressed concerns about the integrity of chess competitions, particularly the lack of stringent anti-cheating measures. In a follow-up tweet, Carlsen stated, "I did ask an arbiter during the game whether watches were allowed, and he clarified that smartwatches were banned, but not analog watches. This seems to be against FIDE rules for events of this stature."
Carlsen's tweets garnered immense attention and stirred up conversations across the chess community and beyond, with over 4 million views and numerous comments. Some have questioned his sportsmanship, while others have raised concerns about the rules and regulations governing chess events.

One comment pondered whether Carlsen's reaction would have been the same had he been victorious, emphasizing the need for more professionalism and timely complaints in the world of chess.