Latest news with #LevonAronian
The Guardian
26-07-2025
- 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 the former. 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 the former 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 in effect 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, 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 American Chess Magazine, which is one of the best of its kind. The latest issue 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. 3982 1 Rxe8+! Rxe8 2 Nxf6+ gxf6 3 Bb5! Resigns. White wins the e8 rook or mates by Qg4+ and Qg7.
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First Post
25-07-2025
- 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
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First Post
23-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
‘Not going to win every tournament but...': Magnus Carlsen on third-place finish at Las Vegas Freestyle event
Magnus Carlsen fought back from a poor start to finish third at the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, beating Hikaru Nakamura in the $100,000 playoff. Levon Aronian won the title against Hans Niemann, with Carlsen praising his resilience. read more World No.1 Magnus Carlsen made a strong comeback to finish third at the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam on Monday. The five-time World Champion had a slow start to the tournament and suffered some early setbacks before making a comeback. Carlsen lost crucial games to Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa and American-Armenian Grandmaster Levon Aronian in the classification round, which meant he missed out on the quarterfinals and could no longer fight for the title. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, the Norwegian superstar didn't give up and dominated the lower bracket, winning five matches in a row before defeating American GM Hikaru Nakamura in the third-place playoff match to win $100,000 prize (over Rs 86 lakh) and finish on the podium. '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,' Carlsen said about his performance at the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. '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 wins the title Meanwhile, Levon Aronian went on to win the event, beating American GM Hans Niemann 1.5-0.5 in the final to claim the $200,000 prize (Rs 1.7 crore). Aronian held firm in a tough first game before putting on a brilliant performance in the second to seal the victory. Carlsen praised Aronian for his resilience and said he was the 'deserved winner.' It is also important to note that Carlsen and Niemann have a tense history. Their relationship soured after Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating back in 2022, which created a huge controversy in the chess world. Niemann later filed a lawsuit against Carlsen, seeking damages for defamation. Although the legal dispute was eventually settled, the rivalry between the two has remained tense. '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,' Carlsen said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD '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.
India Today
21-07-2025
- Sport
- India Today
Freestyle Chess Grand Slam: Aronian wins, Erigasi, Praggnanandhaa finish 6th and 7th
Levon Aronian and his family. (Image: X/@attackingchess) Levon Arnoian won the Vegas Freestyle Chess Grandslam in the 2025 Ergaisi and Praggnanandhaa finished sixth and seventh respectively. Both Indians won 40,000 and 30,000 USD respectively India's top chess talents, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa, finished sixth and seventh respectively at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas on Monday, July 21. The tournament was won by Levon Aronian, who held his nerve in the final to clinch the title and a prize of USD 200,000. Aronian overcame Hans Moke Niemann 1.5-0.5 in a tense final to secure victory. In the third-place playoff, world number one Magnus Carlsen bounced back from a poor start to defeat Hikaru Nakamura by the same margin. Among the Indian players, Erigaisi ended his campaign with a 0-2 loss to Fabiano Caruana, finishing sixth overall and earning USD 40,000. Praggnanandhaa, however, signed off on a high, defeating Wesley So 1.5-0.5 to clinch seventh place and USD 30,000 in prize money. Praggnanandhaa was particularly impressive in his final match. Playing black in the first game, he held firm for a draw, and then capitalised with the white pieces to register a confident win. However, the day also saw a setback for his sister, R Vaishali, who was knocked out of the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. With the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam wrapped up, both Arjun and Praggnanandhaa have a packed calendar ahead. They will now travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the E-Sports World Cup, starting in a few days. After that, Arjun will head home to compete in the Chennai Grandmasters tournament in early August, while Praggnanandhaa is set to return to the USA for two back-to-back Grand Chess Tour events in St. Louis. Finals Results: Levon Aronian (Usa) beat Hans Moke Niemann (Usa) 1.5-0.5; Magnus Carlsen (Nor) beat Hikaru Nakamura (Usa) 1.5-0.5; 5-6 place: Arjun Erigaisi (Ind) lost to Fabiano Caruana (Usa) 0-2; 7-8 place: R Praggnanandhaa (Ind) beat Wesley So (Usa) 1.5-0.5. India's top chess talents, Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa, finished sixth and seventh respectively at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas on Monday, July 21. The tournament was won by Levon Aronian, who held his nerve in the final to clinch the title and a prize of USD 200,000. Aronian overcame Hans Moke Niemann 1.5-0.5 in a tense final to secure victory. In the third-place playoff, world number one Magnus Carlsen bounced back from a poor start to defeat Hikaru Nakamura by the same margin. Among the Indian players, Erigaisi ended his campaign with a 0-2 loss to Fabiano Caruana, finishing sixth overall and earning USD 40,000. Praggnanandhaa, however, signed off on a high, defeating Wesley So 1.5-0.5 to clinch seventh place and USD 30,000 in prize money. Praggnanandhaa was particularly impressive in his final match. Playing black in the first game, he held firm for a draw, and then capitalised with the white pieces to register a confident win. However, the day also saw a setback for his sister, R Vaishali, who was knocked out of the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia. With the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam wrapped up, both Arjun and Praggnanandhaa have a packed calendar ahead. They will now travel to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the E-Sports World Cup, starting in a few days. After that, Arjun will head home to compete in the Chennai Grandmasters tournament in early August, while Praggnanandhaa is set to return to the USA for two back-to-back Grand Chess Tour events in St. Louis. Finals Results: Levon Aronian (Usa) beat Hans Moke Niemann (Usa) 1.5-0.5; Magnus Carlsen (Nor) beat Hikaru Nakamura (Usa) 1.5-0.5; 5-6 place: Arjun Erigaisi (Ind) lost to Fabiano Caruana (Usa) 0-2; 7-8 place: R Praggnanandhaa (Ind) beat Wesley So (Usa) 1.5-0.5. Join our WhatsApp Channel
United News of India
18-07-2025
- Sport
- United News of India
Erigaisi reaches SFs, Praggnanandhaa edged out
Las Vegas, July 18 (UNI) A new chapter will be written in the Arjun Erigaisi–Levon Aronian saga as the Indian Grandmaster stormed into the semifinals of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, defeating Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov 1.5-0.5 in just two games of the 30'+30" time control. Arjun, with this win, became the first Indian ever to reach the semifinals stage of a Freestyle Grand Slam Tour event. The first game against Abdusattorov was drawn after a tense positional struggle. However, in the second game, Arjun capitalised on a questionable exchange sacrifice by the Uzbek prodigy. A later knight trade further widened the material gap, and despite stiff resistance, Arjun converted the advantage into a crucial victory. With this, Arjun has set up a highly anticipated clash with seasoned American GM Levon Aronian, who got past Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-1.5 in their semifinal encounter. Meanwhile, in arguably the most thrilling quarterfinal battle of the event, R Praggnanandhaa and Fabiano Caruana (USA) exchanged victories across six games in three time controls — 30'+30", 10'+10", and 5'+2". The marathon eventually culminated in an Armageddon game where Caruana prevailed, securing a spot in the semifinals. Hans Niemann (USA) also made headlines by eliminating Javokhir Sindarov (UZB), ensuring his place in the semifinals, where he will face Caruana. In the Lower Bracket, Magnus Carlsen (NOR) demonstrated vintage dominance as he blanked Vidit Gujrathi 2-0. Carlsen now awaits his next opponent from among the Upper Bracket Quarterfinal losers in the Lower Bracket QF. The Upper Bracket semifinals and Lower Bracket quarterfinal Game 1 are scheduled to begin today at 10:30 pm IST. UNI BDN BM
