Latest news with #Aronian
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First Post
6 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Freestyle Chess Las Vegas winner Aronian tops group in Esports World Cup Chess Qualifier; Gujrathi knocked out
Aronian, who had won the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour earlier this month, topped a tough Group A to advance to the Playoffs of the Last Chance Qualifier ahead of the Esports World Cup, where chess makes its debut this year. read more Levon Aronian had defeated Hans Niemann 1.5-0.5 to win the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. Image credit: Freestyle Chess Grandmaster Levon Aronian appeared to have carried on from where he left off in Las Vegas, where he had won the fourth leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour earlier this month, topping the 'Group of Death' in the Last Chance Qualifier for the 2025 Esports World Cup. The Armenian-born American GM finished ahead of India's Vidit Gujrathi as well as Dmitry Andreikin and Daniil Dubov, with the likes of Alexey Sarana, Marc'Andria Maurizzi, and Jules Moussard advancing from Group A – which comprises 10 Grandmasters. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gujrathi's compatriot Nihal Sarin advanced from Group B along with topper Oleksandr Bortnyk, as well as Andrey Esipenko, and Ahmed Adly. Group C and D of the Last Chance Qualifier is scheduled to take place later on Friday. Gujrathi and Dubov had finished joint-seventh in Group A after collecting 4.5 points in seven games – an entire point behind Aronian and the others who progressed from the group. Bortnik, meanwhile, topped Group B with 6 points while Sarin finished joint-second along with Esipenko and Adly on 5.5. Praggnanandhaa in action later on Friday Top-ranked Indian R Praggnanandhaa will be in action in Group C later on Friday, where he is set to face tough competition from GMs Anish Giri, Vincent Keymer and Javokhir Sindarov. The Last Chance Qualifier for the ESports World Cup features 130-plus players across four groups in a seven-round Swiss open. The top four from each group will then qualify for the Playoffs, which features a 16-player double-elimination knockout. The top-four players from the Playoffs will then advance to the ESports World Cup in Riyadh, where chess makes its debut this year with the action set to get underway on 29 July. A prize fund of $1.5 million has been set aside for chess at the event, including $250,000 for the winner. A total of 16 players comprising some of the biggest names in chess will be in action at the event, with 12 of them having already been confirmed on the basis of their standings in the 2025 Champions Chess Tour. That includes Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana – the world's top-three – along with India's Arjun Erigaisi, who had signed with Esports organisation Gen.G earlier this year. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Chess: Aronian takes big top prize in Las Vegas as Niemann celebrates Carlsen's downfall
Levon Aronian, at 42 the oldest in the tournament, scored what he described as 'one of the crown jewels' of his career to win the $200,000 (£148,000) first prize at the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam last weekend. Aronian did it in style, winning matches against the world No 1 Magnus Carlsen, the No 2 Hikaru Nakamura and the No 5 Arjun Erigaisi en route to victory. Carlsen had to settle for the third prize of $100,000, plus the further indignity of finishing behind his arch enemy Hans Niemann, whose game with the Norwegian at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup led to allegations of cheating and a $100m lawsuit, which was eventually settled out of court. Niemann was invited to join the commentary team for the final stages of Aronian v Carlsen, and made the most of his triumph and a post-game reunion with Aronian. Carlsen blamed his defeat on a 'complete collapse' of his nervous system. Besides his failure against Aronian, he also allowed Wesley So a mate in four moves. In fairness, he recovered well from his expensive early errors, scored five successive wins before defeating Nakamura in the third place match, and still leads the overall Tour standings going into the next multi-hub leg in September and the final in Cape Town in December. Niemann showed commanding form when he defeated the US champion Fabiano Caruana, against whom he had previously had poor results, by 2.5-1.5. In their third game, Caruana settled for a draw by threefold repetition when he had an edge, prompting Niemann to say he was not surprised: 'I think that my nerves, when there's low time, are clearly better than his. I play a lot more blitz, I'm younger, and I also play much faster.' Niemann finally met his match in the final for the $200,000 top prize, which Aronian won 1.5-0.5, but only after a double blunder where Niemann could have won a pawn race to queen, but missed a simple deciding move. Nakamura also failed to clinch a winning sequence against Carlsen before losing 0.5-1.5. It seems that the psychological burden of playing for a total of half a million dollars proved difficult for all of them. The Freestyle Tour's future is unclear. Its huge $3.75m prize fund dwarfs even the $1.5m for chess in the Esports World Cup in Saudi Arabia next week, but is related to a $12m investment by the venture capital firm Left Lane Capital, which was made on the apparent assumption that the Tour would attract major television coverage. That does not appear to be the case so far, even though the event was a sell-out for the hundreds of spectators, who were allowed to bring in mobile phones and could talk loudly, with the players protected from the noise by earphones. The time controls, which were originally slow classical to satisfy Carlsen, were speeded up to one hour rapid in the interest of a fast-paced event. The Tour suffers in the eyes of the majority of grandmasters because entry is effectively restricted to the top 25-30 players in the world, with ratings above Fide 2725. Beyond that, there remains the troubling problem that, although Freestyle Chess sparks creativity and greatly reduces the need for opening preparation, it also makes it harder for even strong players viewing the games to relate the positions to their previous experience. One of the more easily understandable games, and an elegant victory, was Nakamura v So, where the world No 2 trapped his opponent's queen in just 17 moves. Elsewhere, last weekend's English Championship at Kenilworth, Warwickshire, turned into a trial of strength between the country's top two grandmasters, the world senior champion Michael Adams and the former Russian champion Nikita Vitiugov, which continued right into a tie-break for first prize which Adams edged 2.5-1.5. It was an impressive performance by Adams, the 53-year-old from Taunton, Somerset, whose wins over the defending champion Gawain Jones and England's youngest grandmaster, 16-year-old Shreyas Royal, were both of the highest class. Adams's tie-break strategy against Vitiugov, keeping a tight grip on the position until his opponent lost patience, was also very effective. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Vitiugov lost little in defeat. He is a strong grandmaster in the Soviet tradition, and showed his quality by a fine attacking win against Ameet Ghasi in the final round. Royal had the best tie-break of those tied for third, played an excellent attack against John Emms, and appeared a potential 2600 player. Matthew Wadsworth, whose GM title has just been confirmed by Fide, also looked the part. Final leading scores were Adams and Vitiugov 6/7, Royal, Wadsworth, Peter Roberson, and Jones 5.5. Elmira Mirzoeva retained the English Women's title. The old hands triumphed, while the losers were the ambitious amateurs and the teen or sub-teen juniors, groups that lacked outstanding performers. They will not have to wait long for another opportunity, though, because the British Championship starts at Liverpool next Thursday. Meanwhile Dan Fernandez, the 30-year-old England No 16, who is ambitious to break into the Olympiad team, has just scored a career-best result at the Ghent Open in Belgium, winning first prize with a spectacular 7.5/9, two points clear of the field and with a 2645 tournament performance rating. India's 19-year-old Divya Deshmukh defeated China's Tan Zhongyi 1.5-0.5 to reach Saturday's final of the Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. Deshmukh will meet her compatriot Humpy Koneru, who won 5-3 against China's Lei Tingjie in the second semi-final. Finally, a word on The American Chess Magazine, which is one of the best of its kind. The latest issue, available separately, includes a rare account by Boris Spassky of his first meeting with Bobby Fischer, an analysis of the best queen sacrifices in chess history, advice on openings, and much more. 3981 1 Rxe8+! Rxe8 2 Nxf6+ gxf6 3 Bb5! Resigns. White wins the e8 rook or mates by Qg4+ and Qg7.
Spectator
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Spectator
Freestyle Grand Slam
Levon Aronian took the $200,000 first prize at the latest leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, held in Las Vegas earlier this month. The fifth event of the tour's debut year, scheduled for Delhi in September, has been cancelled due to a lack of sponsors, but Carlsen tops the leaderboard ahead of the final, which remains scheduled for December in Cape Town. The game below was played in the semi-final, and had as a start position: Ra1, Nb1, Kc1, Nd1, Be1, Qf1, Rg1, Bh1. Black's setup mirrors that: Ra8, Nb8, etc. Arjun Erigaisi-Levon Aronian Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, Las Vegas, July 2025 1 a4 d5 2 g4 c6 3 f4 g6 4 e4 dxe4 5 Bxe4 Bd7 6 Ne3 Ne6 7 c3 Na6 8 f5 gxf5 9 gxf5 Rxg1 10 Qxg1 Nec7 11 Bg3 Ne8 12 d4 Nf6 13 Nd2 O-O-O 14 Bd3 Nc7 15 a5 Qh6 16 Bxc7 Kxc7 17 Qg3+ Kc8 18 Ndc4 Erigaisi has handled the opening strongly, and now 18…Rg8 is refuted by 19 Nb6+ axb6 20 axb6, with dual threats of Ra8# and Qc7#. Aronian finds the only defence. Nd5 19 Kb1 Qg7 Another timely defensive measure. This time the tactical idea 20 Nxd5 cxd5 21 Nb6+ fails in view of axb6 22 axb6 Qxg3 23 Ra8+ Qb8. 20 Qf3 Qg1+ 21 Ka2 Qxh2 22 Nxd5 cxd5 23 Qxd5 Qc7 24 Qxf7 Bc6 Suddenly Bc6-d5 is a counter-threat. Now 25 Qe6+ Kb8 26 Qe2 maintains an edge, but Erigaisi errs. 25 Ne3 Bxd4 Sharply played. 26 cxd4 Qxa5+ 27 Kb1 Qe1+ picks up the knight. 26 Qe6+ Bd7 27 Qe4 Bc6 28 Qe6+ Bd7 29 Qe4 Bf6 Sensing the game's momentum in his favour, Aronian declines the repetition. 30 Nd5 Qxa5+ 31 Kb1 Qc5 32 b4 Qf2 33 Ra2 Qg1+ 34 Kc2 Bc6 35 Qe6+ 35 Nxe7+ Bxe7 36 Qxe7 was still good enough for a draw, as 36…Qg2+ 37 Kb1 Qh1+ 38 Kc2 Qd5 (as in the game) is met by 39 Qe6+. This doesn't work in the game because Aronian's king is already on b8. Kb8 36 Nxf6 exf6 37 Qxf6 Qg2+ 38 Kb1 38 Kb3 Qd5+ 39 Bc4 Qd1+ 40 Ka3 Qa4+ 41 Kb2 Rd2+ and mate next move. Qh1+ 39 Kc2 Qd5 White resigns Aronian had a narrow escape in the first game of the final against Hans Niemann (see below). He decided the match and the tournament with a win in the return game. Hans Niemann-Levon Aronian Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, Las Vegas 56 Be5 Losing a crucial tempo. Instead, 56 Kb5! wins, with the subtle idea 56…e3 57 Bf4! (preparing Bf4-d2 if the e-pawn advances). Then 57…Kf5 58 a6 Bxa6+ 59 Kxa6 Kxf4 60 b7 e2 61 b8=Q+ (crucially, this is check) and with a bit of precision the queen will win against the pawns. d3 57 Bf4 Ba6 58 Kc5 Kf5 59 Bh6 Kg4 60 Kc6 Kf3 61 b7 Bxb7+ 62 Kxb7 e3 63 Bxe3 Draw agreed
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
‘Not going to win every tournament,' ‘I was pretty hard on myself': Carlsen takes pride in fighting back at Las Vegas Freestyle event
After a slow start and multiple setbacks, World No.1 and five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen mounted a big comeback to finish third at the Las Vegas leg of Freestyle Chess Grand Slam event on Monday. After losing to Indian GM R Praggnanandhaa and American-Armenian Levon Aronian in the classification round for a spot in the quarterfinals, Carlsen's chances to fight for the title vanished. However, the Norwegian dominated the lower bracket, winning all knockout rounds before beating Hikaru Nakamura in the third-place match. 'I had one really bad day, and that cost me in the end. But winning five matches in a row, even if the stakes aren't that high, feels really good,' saidCarlsen after taking home $100,000. 'It was a bit up and down but overall I'm fairly happy with my level in those few games. I felt like I finished off with a really nice win as Black. It builds confidence for my next event. Things obviously weren't looking that rosy on Wednesday, and I was pretty hard on myself then as well. But now winning the last few matches is always nice. I'm not going to win every tournament but I'm very happy with the way I fought back. So, I will definitely take some positives from this tournament,' he added. Aronian beat compatriot Hans Niemann in the final to win the event. Carlsen said he was happy for Aronian and the Armenian was the deserved winner. 'It was incredibly impressive, very well deserved as well. He faced a lot of adversity for sure, especially the second game against Hikaru, it took a lot of mental resilience to be able to continue to press after he had several little chances to win, but he didn't take them. The way he fought in difficult positions against Arjun as well. Like, he was completely busted but came back,' said Carlsen on Aronian. 'I'm very, very happy for Levon. Um, he is… I think he has probably been the biggest fan of freestyle among the top players for many years. There is always some consolation in having lost to the tournament winner. And clearly, you know, the deserved one,' he added.
Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Levon Aronian makes Rs 1.7 crore for Freestyle Chess title, but what did Arjun Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa win at Las Vegas?
The Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour ended with the veteran Levon Aronian claiming the title with Hans Niemann and Magnus Carlsen taking second and third spots in the standings respectively. The win for Aronian was accompanied by a mega prize check of $200,000 (approximately Rs 1.7 crore). Aronian captured his first Freestyle Chess Grand Slam crown at Wynn Las Vegas after defeating Hans Niemann 1.5-0.5 in the Grand Final. Meanwhile, Niemann, who lost to Aronian in the final, will go home $1,40,000 richer (approx Rs 1.2 crore) and Carlsen pockets $1,00,000 (approx Rs 1.2 crore) for ending third in the tournament. So how much did the Indians make from the event? Arjun Erigaisi, who was India's best finisher at the Las Vegas event with a 6th place finish, pocketed over Rs 34 lakhs ($40,000) while Praggnanandhaa, who finished one spot behind Arjun, claimed Rs 25 lakhs ($30,000). For context, Gukesh had pocketed Rs 11.4 crore for becoming the youngest World Champion in history. Arjun had been the only semi-finalist from India with three other Americans for company. There, he had lost to had lost to eventual winner Aronian. Then, he lost 2-0 to Magnus Carlsen as the Norwegian charted his path to third place. Then, Arjun was defeated by Fabiano Caruana. Praggnanandhaa finished in seventh place after a victory over Wesley So. 'Seventh doesn't sound well but I feel I played much better than [where] I finished at the end. At these crucial moments I didn't show show my best I guess. I should have won yesterday. I think I should learn to make some draws because I was not making them when I needed to,' Pragg was quoted as saying by Freestyle Chess in a release. Vidit Gujrathi, who ended joint 13th with four others, will take home $7500 (approximately Rs 6.4 lakhs).
