From Norway Chess to Memes: The Fist Smash that Inspired Harikrishna

The recent Norway Chess tournament’s hand-smash incident has gone viral, leading to an explosion of memes. The initial response included sports parodies and other humorous adaptations. Indian Grandmaster Pentala Harikrishna has now joined the meme fest. He incorporated the now-famous fist smash in a FIDE interview. This playful reference is a commentary on Magnus Carlsen’s reaction after losing to Gukesh, who became the world champion. Carlsen apologized to Gukesh twice before departing. Anish Giri also playfully mimicked the fist smash during the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Teams Championships. Harikrishna’s teammates recognized his comedic talent and voted him as the best joke-teller on the team.