Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa stunned the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas, beating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a dominating 39-move match.
The 19-year-old sensation, already a comet on the international chess horizon, outmaneuvered the Norwegian legend in Round 4 of the group stage in the rapid 10+10 format.
Carlsen, a five-time world champion and winner of past Freestyle events in Paris and Karlsruhe, couldn't overcome the setback after two consecutive losses — including earlier defeats at the hands of India's reigning world champion D Gukesh. The defeat to Praggnanandhaa has now terminated his bid for the Las Vegas title.
The young Indian grandmaster has now done something unique: winning against Carlsen in all three styles — Classical, Rapid, and Blitz. Praggnanandhaa now shares the lead in Group White with 4.5 points each, tied with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov.
Praggnanandhaa's journey to the summit started with a draw against Abdusattorov, then victories over Bibisara Assaubayeva, Vincent Keymer (with the Black pieces), and subsequently Carlsen. His steady top-level play makes him one of the leading favorites as the tournament enters its knockout phase.
Carlsen, on the other hand, began well with two victories but after that stalled. Back-to-back losses to Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So, combined with mixed draws, left him requiring a win in the final round merely to qualify for a playoff. Though he beat Assaubayeva in Round 7, he lost both tiebreak games to Levon Aronian, ending his aspirations for the title and relegating him to the lower half.
In White Group, Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, and Sindarov moved on with 4.5/7, while Aronian took the fourth and final qualifying position with 4 points, edging Carlsen out.
In Black Group, Hikaru Nakamura dominated with a 6/7 performance. Hans Niemann, Fabiano Caruana, and Arjun Erigaisi also qualified. Caruana, having drawn the first six matches, beat Niemann in a do-or-die final round to get into the top bracket.
The Las Vegas tournament, held at the Wynn hotel, is the U.S. launch of Freestyle Chess and boasts a double-elimination format. Sixteen players — eight from each half — now proceed to the knockout phase. Players in the lower bracket, including Carlsen and Keymer, no longer have the opportunity to win the title but will battle for last-place spots and compensation.
Quarterfinals are set for Thursday. The victors will press on towards the USD 200,000 grand prize, while the defeated players from the top bracket will switch to the lower bracket to have another opportunity to get back up the ranks.
