Latest news with #GrandSlamTour
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Magnus Carlsen's awkward reaction to Hans Niemann's entry at award ceremony goes viral
Magnus Carlsen (Screengrabs) A tense moment unfolded during the award ceremony at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas, and it has since gone viral. As Hans Niemann walked onto the stage to collect his runner-up trophy, world champion Magnus Carlsen remained still and did not clap, creating an awkward silence that quickly caught the attention of fans and cameras alike. However, when Levon Aronian's name was announced, Carlsen's demeanour changed completely. He applauded warmly, lighting up the stage with cheers for the Armenian chess legend. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The viral clip has reignited the public narrative around the frosty relationship between Carlsen and Niemann, stemming from their highly publicised feud in 2022. Watch: Fans have flooded social media with comments, with many interpreting Carlsen's silence as a deliberate statement. Levon Aronian made headlines by clinching his first Freestyle Chess Grand Slam crown on Sunday at Wynn Las Vegas. The 42-year-old defeated Hans Niemann 1.5-0.5 in the Grand Final, claiming a massive $200,000 prize. Earlier in the week, Aronian delivered stunning upsets, knocking out both Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura. His dominant second game in the final sealed the championship after an opening draw, cementing his reputation as a fierce competitor in freestyle chess. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why Gina Rinehart Is Betting $800M on This Fat Tail Daily Learn More Undo World's Youngest Rated Chess Player Is Just 4—And He's from India Niemann, who was close to securing the biggest win of his career, had to settle for second place and $140,000. Meanwhile, Carlsen bounced back from his semifinal exit by defeating Nakamura in a high-stakes third-place clash, earning $160,000. This result keeps Carlsen on top of the Grand Slam Tour standings despite missing out on the Las Vegas title. Fabiano Caruana claimed fifth place by beating Arjun Erigaisi 2-0, while Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu overcame Wesley So 1.5-0.5 to finish seventh. The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam now moves to its next destination, with Aronian's breakthrough victory setting the tone for the season. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
'I don't need an apology': Hans Niemann after making his maiden Freestyle Chess Grand Slam final on debut appearance
Hans Niemann during the Las Vegas Leg of Freestyle chess Grand Slam Tour (Freestyle Chess/Lennart Ootes) Hans Niemann's resurgence on the global chess stage continues to make headlines. The American Grandmaster, who has been at the centre of controversy since his fallout with world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in 2022, has stormed into the final of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam on his debut appearance. Following his semifinal victory over Fabiano Caruana, Niemann took to X (formerly Twitter) to send a defiant message: 'I don't need an apology, my comeback will be on the chess board, nothing else!' — HansMokeNiemann (@HansMokeNiemann) The Wynn Las Vegas is hosting the first-ever Freestyle Chess Grand Slam on US soil, featuring a $750,000 prize pool. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! In an all-American final, Niemann and Levon Aronian will clash in Sunday's grand finale for a $200,000 first prize. Neither player has previously won a Grand Slam title, making this final one for the history books. Poll Who do you think will win the final of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam? Hans Niemann Levon Aronian Niemann's path to the final wasn't easy. His semifinal duel with Caruana saw two intense classical draws before Niemann showcased his attacking flair in rapid tiebreakers, eventually winning 2½–1½. Aronian, meanwhile, has been the tournament's giant-killer, eliminating both Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura before sweeping Arjun Erigaisi 2–0 in the semis. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like American Investor Warren Buffett Recommends: 5 Books For Turning Your Life Around Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The lower bracket remains stacked with big names, Carlsen, Nakamura, Wesley So, and R Praggnanandhaa, all competing for a third-place finish. Carlsen, who stunned fans with an early group-stage exit, is aiming for redemption after a rocky start in Las Vegas. Niemann's performance is particularly symbolic, given his long-running feud with Carlsen that began at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. ALSO READ: Despite being told 'Can't invite you to Las Vegas', Hans Niemann turns up, awaits Magnus Carlsen in 'Battle of Baddies' While his critics continue to question him, Niemann appears focused solely on proving himself over the board. With the final looming, all eyes will be on this fiery American talent, who is on the brink of the biggest victory of his career. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
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First Post
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Las Vegas Grand Slam: How is Freestyle Chess different from other formats? Here's what you need to know
Here's what you need to know about Freestyle Chess, a unique format of the board game that has been gaining popularity with the inaugural Grand Slam Tour this year. read more Advertisement D Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen in action during the opening leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Weissenhaus in February. Image credit: Freestyle Chess The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour has returned to action after an absence of nearly three months, with the fourth leg getting underway in Las Vegas on Wednesday. And American leg hasn't been short of drama either, with world No 1 and current Tour leader Magnus Carlsen failing to advance to the knockouts after finishing fifth in his group, much to the delight of some of his rivals . With the Grand Slam Tour still going through its inaugural edition, there might still be those who aren't fully familiar with the unique format of Freestyle Chess and what sets this tour – co-founded by Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner – apart from other chess tournaments. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD How is Freestyle Chess different from other forms of the game? What sets Freestyle Chess apart from other forms of the board game is its unpredictability, and the fact that one cannot really prepare for it the way they do for other forms of the game, including the traditional Classical chess. This is due to the fact that the back pieces on the board are randomly arranged with the pawns lining up on the front row the way they do in other formats. There are a total of 960 variations for the back pieces from the first to eighth ranks, which is why it's also known as Chess960. It also goes by the name 'Fischer Random' after its inventor, American chess icon Bobby Fischer. And black pieces mirror that of white with two exceptions – the King has to be placed between two rooks and the bishops have to be placed on opposite-coloured squares, which is a basic rule for that piece. Thanks to the randomisation of back pieces, players are forced to think on the fly instead of going with memorised openings. The board layout is unveiled roughly 15 minutes before start of play, giving players precious few minutes to come up with a strategy beforehand. Indian Grandmaster D Gukesh is among chess's elite, especially after becoming the youngest winner of the Chess World Championship and the Candidates Tournament and also starring in India's golden sweep at the Chess Olympiad last year. But when it came to Freestyle Chess, the reigning Classical world champion struggled to make an impact in the Weissenhaus and Paris legs of the Grand Slam Tour and opted out of the fourth leg in Las Vegas. 'I think the most challenging part for me in Freestyle Chess is that everybody can calculate and see tactics. But evaluating positions correctly, that is the most challenging, at least for me. Because a lot of positions and ideas are similar to standard chess but not exactly similar. And something which we think is good might not actually be good. Our intuition is simply not always correct in Freestyle,' Gukesh had revealed in a chat with during the Paris Grand Slam.
Times of Oman
17-07-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Chess Grand Slam: Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa upsets World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen to finish at top in Group Stage
Las Vegas : Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa secured a stunning victory over World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a dominant Round 4 clash at the Las Vegas Chess Grand Slam Tour. Praggnanandhaa was the most consistent player in group A. He scored three straight wins from rounds two to four, the latter of which was a gritty win over the pre-tournament favorite Carlsen, according to The 19-year-old defeated the Norwegian master in only 39 moves in the match held on Wednesday, confirming his increasing position on the international chess scene and continuing a worrying trend for Carlsen against India's new generation of stars. With a 10-minute plus 10-second increase in each round, Praggnanandhaa outplayed Carlsen with a poise and assurance that is seldom seen against the five-time world champion. Praggnanandhaa holds the lead in Group White with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov, all of whom have 4.5 points. His run featured the major shock over Carlsen, victories over Bibisara Assaubayeva and Vincent Keymer, and a draw against Abdusattorov. Carlsen hit back and scored 1.5/2 in his final games and scraped into equal fourth, forcing a two-game tiebreaker against Aronian for a Quarterfinals spot. GM Levon Aronian made a statement at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Las Vegas on Wednesday by defeating GM Magnus Carlsen 2-0 in a tiebreak showdown, keeping his chances alive of winning the first prize, and in the process, condemning Carlsen to the lower bracket. Aronian will be joined in the quarterfinals by fellow group A qualifiers, GMs Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, and Javokhir Sindarov, as well as group B's qualifiers: GMs Hikaru Nakamura, Hans Niemann, Arjun Erigaisi, and Fabiano Caruana.
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First Post
17-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Niemann takes a massive swipe after Carlsen fails to reach Freestyle Chess Las Vegas knockouts: 'Karma is a….'
Hans Niemann did not hide his emotions in the commentary booth as Levon Aronian defeated Magnus Carlsen in the tie-break to relegate the world No 1 and the current Grand Slam Tour leader to the fifth spot in the White Group, and subsequently denying him a place in the quarter-finals. read more Hans Niemann celebrated in the commentary booth as Levon Aronian defeated Magnus Carlsen in the group-stage tie-breaker, denying the latter a place in the Las Vegas Grand Slam quarter-finals. Image credit: Screengrab of Freestyle Chess's live stream of Las Vegas Grand Slam The opening day of the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will have left everyone in attendance as well as chess fans around the world with their jaws hanging. After all, world No 1 Magnus Carlsen – who is firmly in the lead in the overall standings – getting knocked out in the group stage. Freestyle Chess co-founder Carlsen finished at the fifth spot in the White Group with four points after suffering three defeats, including against India's R Praggnanandhaa as well as in the fourth-spot tie-breaker against American Grandmaster Levon Aronian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unlike the previous events in the Grand Slam Tour, the Las Vegas leg has 16 players divided into two groups, with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals which marks the beginning of the knockouts. And for Carlsen to not even make it to the quarter-finals after back-to-back wins in Paris and Kalrsruhe – registering a percent 9/9 in the latter – comes as a shock bigger than his semi-final loss against German GM Vincent Keymer in the tour opener in Weissenhaus. Niemann reacts to Carlsen's early exit from Las Vegas Grand Slam American Grandmaster Hans Niemann, who is playing in the Black Group alongside compatriots Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana as well as India's Arjun Erigaisi, couldn't help but take a big swipe at the world No 1 after he got relegated to the 'Losers' bracket. Niemann was commentating on the Carlsen vs Aronian tie-breaker in the commentary booth alongside GM David Howell and IM Tania Sachdev and did not hide his emotions during the course of the battle. 'There are very few pleasures in life that compare to this feeling,' Niemann had said in the commentary booth after Aronian defeated Carlsen in Game 1 of their fourth-spot tie-breaker on Wednesday after both players finished level on four points. 'You know what they say, karma is a…. I don't want to finish the sentence. Levon, I'm taking you to dinner tonight,' the 22-year-old added. Watch Niemann's reactions here: STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Niemann's reaction is understandable to say the least if one is aware of his history with Carlsen. The controversial GM, after all, had filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Norwegian chess icon after the latter had accused him of cheating in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. And even though both parties reached an out-of-court settlement with his lawsuit ultimately getting dismissed by a federal judge a year later, Niemann and Carlsen have been hostile towards each other ever since, trading barbs from time to time. Niemann was scheduled to participate in the Paris Grand Slam but pulled out of the event in the last minute without offering an explanation.
