Magnus Carlsen Advances to Semifinals in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

Magnus Carlsen, the World No. 1 chess player, emerged victorious in the quarterfinals of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Paris. Carlsen secured a win against Nodirbek Abdusattorov after a strategic buildup that left him with a three-pawn advantage in the final position. The other three quarterfinal games ended in draws, showcasing the intense competition among the top eight players.

One of the most intriguing matchups was between Ian Nepomniachtchi and Vincent Keymer. Keymer, the surprise winner of the Weissenhaus Grand Slam, proved his strength in this format by holding Nepomniachtchi to a draw. Nepomniachtchi introduced a pawn sacrifice known as the “Nepo Gambit,” which was later attempted by Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana in their respective games.

In the placement bracket, Richard Rapport defeated World Champion Gukesh, while Praggnanandhaa emerged victorious against Vidit Gujarathi. Each match consists of two games with classical time control, and if tied 1–1, tiebreaks will follow in the second game scheduled for Thursday.

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam continues to showcase the top players’ skills and strategies, with Carlsen leading the charge towards the semifinals. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting tournament.