R Praggnanandhaa is making headlines again. The 19-year-old Indian Grandmaster shocked the chess world by defeating Magnus Carlsen at the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas.
With this big win, Praggnanandhaa reached the quarterfinals. At the same time, he ended Carlsen’s chances of winning the tournament.
Carlsen’s Shocking Fall
Magnus Carlsen, the world number one, had a tough time in Las Vegas. First, he lost to Praggnanandhaa. Then, he lost again to Wesley So. Finally, Levon Aronian defeated him in a must-win match. That pushed him out of the top four in his group.
This means Carlsen can no longer win the title. At best, he can now finish third, if he wins all his remaining matches.
Pragg’s Strong Start
R Praggnanandhaa played sharp, confident chess from the very first move. Carlsen did get a few chances, but the Indian youngster outplayed him with some smart ideas. Pragg scored 4.5 points from 7 games and tied for first place in his group with Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov.
Carlsen finished fifth, just outside the top four.
Quarterfinal Clash: Pragg vs Caruana
In the quarterfinals, Praggnanandhaa will face Fabiano Caruana from the USA. It won’t be easy, but Pragg has already shown he’s ready for any challenge.
Other Indian Players
Another Indian, Arjun Erigaisi, also entered the quarterfinals. He had a rough start but bounced back well. Erigaisi will now face Abdusattorov in the next round.
Vidit Gujrathi was part of the same group as Erigaisi but did not qualify. He finished last in the standings.
Group Standings
Group White:
- R Praggnanandhaa (India) – 4.5
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) – 4.5
- Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) – 4.5
- Levon Aronian (USA) – 4
- Magnus Carlsen (Norway) – 4
Group Black:
- Hikaru Nakamura (USA) – 6
- Hans Niemann (USA) – 4.5
- Arjun Erigaisi (India) – 4
- Fabiano Caruana (USA) – 4
- Vidit Gujrathi (India) – 1.5
What’s Next?
All eyes will now be on the quarterfinal between R Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana. If Pragg wins this, he moves closer to the Freestyle Grand Slam title.
Pragg has already made India proud. Defeating Carlsen is no small feat. And he’s not done yet.
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