Magnus Carlsen Leads the Way in Freestyle Grand Slam Paris Tournament
Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1, has emerged as an early front runner in the $375,000 second leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam in Paris. The 34-year-old tied for first place with Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 12-player round robin, which determined Thursday’s quarter-finalists. However, the tournament proved to be a disaster for India, as three out of their four contenders were eliminated, including the 18-year-old world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju.
In Friday’s round one semi-final games, Fabiano Caruana (US) faced off against Carlsen (Norway) and Hikaru Nakamura (US) played against Vincent Keymer (Germany), with both games ending in draws. The competition will continue with round two games on Saturday, featuring speed tie-breaks and Armageddon if the score is tied at 1-1. The final is scheduled for Sunday and Monday, with a 1pm BST start time.
Gukesh had the opportunity to qualify by defeating Nepomniachtchi in the final round, but unfortunately, he was defeated in only 21 moves. The Freestyle format randomizes the positions of the back row pieces, turning the opening phase of the game into a challenging minefield for players.
The tournament also saw the withdrawal of France’s Alireza Firouzja and the controversial US grandmaster Hans Niemann. Firouzja’s withdrawal was due to obscure contractual issues, while Niemann cited “personal reasons” for his late withdrawal.
The Freestyle Grand Slam will continue with events in New York in July, Delhi in September, and Cape Town in December. In other chess news, Ju Wenjun has taken a 4-2 lead against her Women’s World Championship challenger, Tan Zhongyi, in their $500,000 title match in Shanghai.
The European Senior Team Championships in Swidnica, Poland, have seen England’s over-50s and over-65s teams dominating the competition. England 1 has won every match in both categories without losing a game after six rounds.
Overall, the chess world is abuzz with excitement and drama as top players compete in prestigious tournaments and unexpected twists unfold. Stay tuned for more updates and results from the world of chess.