Exciting Start to the 2025 Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Semifinals: Caruana-Carlsen Draw, Nakamura-Keymer Split Points

The Semifinals of the 2025 Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam kicked off with a quiet start as top Grandmasters Fabiano Caruana, Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Vincent Keymer drew their games. However, the matches to determine 5th-8th place saw intense action, with GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov winning powerful attacking games.

Carlsen and Caruana’s game ended in a draw, with Carlsen pressing for a win in the endgame. Nakamura and Keymer also settled for a draw, with Nakamura unable to prove White’s advantage in the Slav structure. In the 5th-8th place matches, Nepomniachtchi showcased a dominant performance against Arjun Erigaisi, while Abdusattorov outplayed Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

In the battle for 9th place, Richard Rapport and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu played a precise draw. Tournament organizer Jan Henric Buettner announced changes to the Grand Slam Tour, with the next event moving from New York City to Las Vegas and featuring a shorter format with faster time controls.

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Paris is part of a multi-million dollar tour where players compete in freestyle chess. Stay tuned for more updates on the exciting tournament!