Praggnanandhaa’s Stunning Victory Over Carlsen

India’s Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa achieved a remarkable victory against world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old chess prodigy outmaneuvered the five-time world champion in just 39 moves, marking a significant triumph in his career. This win comes as another setback for Carlsen, who recently faced consecutive defeats by India’s reigning world champion D Gukesh. Praggnanandhaa’s victory occurred during Round 4 of the group stage, which featured a 10-minute plus 10-second increment time control.

Praggnanandhaa’s Impressive Track Record

Praggnanandhaa has already secured victories in three tournaments this year, showcasing his prowess across all formats — Classical, Rapid, and Blitz. His latest win against Carlsen places him in a joint lead within the eight-player Group White, with a total of 4.5 points. The commentator’s exclamation, “Magnus about to resign…and he does!” highlighted the dramatic conclusion of the match.

Carlsen’s Struggles and Tournament Dynamics

Despite being the overall tour leader and winner of previous Freestyle Chess Grand Slam events in Paris and Karlsruhe, Carlsen was knocked out of title contention in Las Vegas. After a challenging day in the round-robin phase, he finished shared fourth in his group and was eliminated in a playoff by Levon Aronian. This result relegated him to the lower bracket, where he can finish no higher than third.

Tournament Structure and Key Players

The tournament’s first day took place at the Wynn Las Vegas hotel, featuring two eight-player round-robins — the White Group and the Black Group. The top four from each group advanced to the top bracket, while the bottom four moved to a placement bracket for final rankings and prize money. In the White Group, Praggnanandhaa, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Javokhir Sindarov topped the table with 4.5/7 each. Aronian followed with 4 points, edging out Carlsen. In the Black Group, Hikaru Nakamura dominated with 6/7 points. Hans Niemann also advanced alongside Fabiano Caruana and Arjun Erigaisi. The U.S. debut of Freestyle Chess at Wynn Las Vegas now sees 16 players moving on to the knockout stage, with half fighting from below for a chance at the USD 200,000 first prize.

Upcoming Matches and Prize Contention

The quarterfinals are set for Thursday, where losing players from the upper bracket will move into the lower bracket. Winners will continue their pursuit of the USD 200,000 first prize.