‘Pipe Down’: Magnus Carlsen Makes ‘Finger On The Lip’ Gesture At Crowd During E-Sports World Cup
Carlsen, who appeared visibly annoyed by the crowd’s backing of Hikaru Nakamura, made a stunning comeback to secure victory before gesturing ‘shush’ toward the audience.
World No. 1 chess player Magnus Carlsen silenced the crowd during his semifinal clash against Hikaru Nakamura at the E-Sports World Cup 2025, held in Saudi Arabia.
Frustrated by the strong support shown by the spectators for Nakamura, Carlsen bounced back to win the intense contest and responded with a ‘finger-on-the-lips’ gesture aimed at the audience.
Representing Team Liquid at the high-profile event in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, Carlsen had reached the semifinals after defeating India’s Nihal Sarin in the quarterfinal stage.
Meanwhile, Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi was defeated in the other semifinal by Team Falcon’s Alireza Firouzja, allowing the French-Iranian star to progress to the final.
Nakamura, who is also part of Team Falcons, challenged Carlsen with a spirited performance, pushing the game into the Armageddon round. However, the Norwegian grandmaster kept his composure to clinch the win in the decider.
The crowd vocally supported Nakamura, erupting into cheers when the American forced the game into a tiebreaker. However, Carlsen stayed calm under pressure and sealed the victory, silencing the loud audience that had rallied behind his rival.
In Game 4, Carlsen executed a decisive move to capture Nakamura’s queen, and promptly expressed his emotions by gesturing the crowd to quieten down.
“I got annoyed when they celebrated Hikaru’s win,” Carlsen said, reflecting on his gesture following the match.
“I think it was a mix of everything. This match spiralled out of control, and it could’ve gone either way. Towards the end, it was a complete toss-up,” the Norwegian explained.
“But I came through. I’m satisfied, especially since I played several poor games. It could have gone either way, so I’m really glad I managed to pull it off,” he added.
“When I saw the way the bracket unfolded, I expected Alireza to make it through his side. I knew I would need to beat both him and Hikaru to win, and that’s fair,” Carlsen said.
“To win such events, you often have to overcome your main challengers. If I win, it will be financially rewarding; even if he wins, it will be big,” the world’s highest-rated player remarked.
“Team Liquid really needs the crowd’s support for its players in the team event. Many people have reasons to feel relieved today. Hopefully, I’ll give them even more to cheer about tomorrow,” he concluded.
