American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura Advances to Last-Four of Freestyle Chess Tournament, Carlsen and Caruana Also Progress

American Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura emerged victorious in a thrilling match against Arjun Erigaisi in the Freestyle chess tournament in Paris. Nakamura’s experience proved to be the deciding factor as he secured a spot in the last-four of the competition.

Meanwhile, world No.1 Magnus Carlsen of Norway secured a draw against Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan to advance to the next stage. Fabiano Caruana of the United States also put up a stellar performance, defeating Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France to join Carlsen in the last-four.

In another quarterfinal match, Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi drew with Vincent Keymer, leading to a tie-break to determine the winner. Keymer, who won the first edition of the tournament in Germany, showcased his skills against the tough competition.

The fight for the 9th to 12th spot saw world champion D Gukesh and Vidit Gujrathi facing off against Richard Rapport of Hungary and R Praggnanandhaa respectively. Praggnanandhaa will now compete against Rapport for a chance to finish in ninth place.

Despite a valiant effort from Erigaisi, Nakamura’s strategic gameplay proved to be too much to handle. Carlsen’s expertise in maneuvering the pieces at the start of the game helped him secure a draw against Abdusattorov.

Overall, the Freestyle chess tournament in Paris showcased intense battles and strategic gameplay, with players showcasing their skills and determination to secure a spot in the next stage of the competition.