Las Vegas, USA– Indian Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi has secured his spot in the semifinals of the Freestyle Chess Las Vegas Grand Slam, after a convincing victory over Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov on Friday.1 However, it was a day of mixed fortunes for the Indian contingent, as R Praggnanandhaa suffered a heartbreaking defeat in a marathon quarterfinal clash against USA’s Fabiano Caruana.2
Erigaisi’s Clinical Progression
Arjun Erigaisi’s path to the semifinals was characterized by a straightforward and clinical performance. The Indian GM drew the first game against Abdusattorov before demonstrating his dominance by stitching up a comfortable win in the second game with white pieces, securing his progression. This decisive victory positions Erigaisi among the top four contenders in the prestigious tournament. In the semifinal, Erigaisi will face Levon Aronian, who advanced after a tiebreak victory over Hikaru Nakamura.
Praggnanandhaa’s Heartbreaking Marathon Defeat
In stark contrast, R Praggnanandhaa’s quarterfinal against Fabiano Caruana was a true test of endurance and nerve. The two played out a captivating and lengthy encounter that saw them trade wins across multiple formats: classical, rapid, and blitz. The intense battle forced the first Armageddon game of the tournament, a sudden-death decider designed to break stalemates.3 In a dramatic conclusion, the American Grandmaster finally clinched the win with black pieces, bringing an end to Praggnanandhaa’s impressive run for the Las Vegas title.
Carlsen Advances in Lower Bracket, Sets Up Match with Praggnanandhaa
While eliminated from the main title contention, five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen continued his progress in the lower bracket, where he will aim for a higher final ranking.4 Carlsen trounced India’s Vidit Gujrathi to move into the Intermediate Matches Stage 1. Intriguingly, Carlsen will now face none other than R Praggnanandhaa in this lower bracket, setting up a highly anticipated rematch between the two after Praggnanandhaa’s earlier victory over Carlsen in the group stage.
Discussion about this post