R Praggnanandhaa Triumphs Over Magnus Carlsen in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

R Praggnanandhaa's Stunning Victory

In a remarkable display of skill, India's young chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa defeated world champion Magnus Carlsen during Round 4 of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour held at the luxurious Wynn Las Vegas. The 19-year-old chess player achieved this victory in just 39 moves, marking another significant milestone in his career.

Praggnanandhaa Completes a Hat-Trick Against Carlsen

This latest win against Carlsen in rapid time control (10 minutes plus a 10-second increment) signifies that Praggnanandhaa has now triumphed over the Norwegian grandmaster in all three primary formats: Classical, Rapid, and Blitz. Following this victory, the Indian chess sensation is currently tied for the lead in Group White with a score of 4.5/7, alongside Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov.

Carlsen's Struggles in the Tournament

Initially, Carlsen had a strong start with consecutive wins but soon lost his momentum. After suffering defeats to Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So, along with two draws, he found himself in a challenging position for playoff qualification. Although he managed to secure a win against Bibisara Assaubayeva in the final round, he was ultimately eliminated in the tiebreaks by Armenia's Levon Aronian, preventing him from finishing in the top four of his group.

Upcoming Knockout Stage

The tournament's first day featured two round-robin groups of eight players each, with the top four from each group advancing to the main knockout stage. Players like Carlsen and Germany's Vincent Keymer will now compete in the placement bracket, aiming for ranking and prize money, but they are no longer in contention for the championship title.

Prize Money and Quarterfinals

The quarterfinal matches are set to commence on Thursday. Players who lose in the upper bracket will have another opportunity in the lower bracket. However, the path to the championship becomes increasingly competitive as participants vie for the grand prize of $200,000.