Magnus Carlsen Triumphs Over Praggnanandhaa in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Showdown

Carlsen's Redemption Against Praggnanandhaa

Las Vegas: In a thrilling match, Magnus Carlsen, the reigning world champion, exacted revenge on India's Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa, securing a 3-1 victory in a tense four-game series on Sunday (IST).

Following an unexpected first-round defeat to Praggnanandhaa, Carlsen demonstrated his resilience by forcing tiebreaks and subsequently achieving five straight wins, including victories over Arjun Erigaisi.

The initial game between Carlsen and Praggnanandhaa was particularly intense. Praggnanandhaa established a significant lead, but after Carlsen overlooked a straightforward pawn move, he sacrificed his queen for two minor pieces. Although this should have been insufficient, a blunder by the young Indian player allowed Carlsen to regain his footing, as reported by Freestyle Chess Reports.

Despite the setback, Praggnanandhaa skillfully navigated the complexities of the position, ultimately outmaneuvering Carlsen in a challenging scenario marked by a material imbalance.

Carlsen then smoothly clinched his must-win game in the endgame, mirroring Praggnanandhaa's earlier victory over Keymer. The five-time world champion followed this with two tactical wins in the 5+2 games, capitalizing on his opponent's time pressure.

In the lower bracket semifinal, Carlsen faced another Indian Grandmaster, Arjun, winning 2-0. In the first game, a minor mistake by Arjun allowed Carlsen to seize the opportunity and capitalize on it effectively.

Although Arjun started strong in the second game, he faltered, leading to another victory for Carlsen, marking his fifth consecutive win in the tournament.

As the penultimate day of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam concluded in Las Vegas, Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura are set to clash in the third-place match on Sunday. This matchup echoes their previous encounter in the Paris Grand Slam final, but this time, they will compete for $160,000 and the final podium position instead of the championship title.