棋BoardChaos: Praggnanandhaa Triumphs Over Magnus Carlsen, Progresses to Quarter-Finals in Unison with Arjun Erigaisi
In a thrilling turn of events at the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, Indian chess prodigy R. Praggnanandhaa made history by defeating the world's top-ranked player, Magnus Carlsen, in the Round Robin stage. This victory, which marked Carlsen's first loss in the event, has solidified Praggnanandhaa's position as a formidable competitor and further bolstered India's reputation on the global chess stage.
Praggnanandhaa's triumph was not a solitary achievement. Another Indian player, D. Gukesh, also demonstrated his competitive edge against Carlsen earlier in 2025, winning a rapid battle in Zagreb. These victories highlight the growing confidence and competitiveness of Indian players against top-tier opponents.
The 16-player event was divided into two groups of eight each, with the top four from each pool advancing to the quarterfinals. Praggnanandhaa tied for the first spot in his group with Uzbekistan's Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sandarov, and Levon Aronian. Hans Niemann finished second in the same group with 4.5 points. In the second group, Hikaru Nakamura topped the rankings with a score of 6/7, while Arjun Erigaisi tied for third place with 4 points.
Praggnanandhaa's win over Carlsen sent the world champion's campaign in the top-bracket quarterfinals haywire. Those who do not make the top bracket in the first set of qualifiers can no longer win the event. Carlsen can at best finish third if he wins the remaining matches.
The pairings for the quarterfinals are: Praggnanandhaa vs Caruana, Abdusattorov vs Erigaisi, Levon Aronian vs Hikaru Nakamura, and Hans Niemann vs Javokhir Sandarov. In the lower bracket, Carlsen will play against Vidit Gujrathi, Robson Ray will face Vincent Keymer, Leinier Dominguez Perez will play against Bibisara Assaubayeva, and Sevian Samuel will face Wesley So.
Arjun Erigaisi, the other Indian from the second group, also made it to the quarterfinals. Despite Carlsen's subsequent loss against Wesley So and elimination from the top bracket by Levon Aronian, the Indian chess players continue to shine, demonstrating a strong competitive edge.
Sources: [1] Chess.com (2025). Praggnanandhaa vs. Carlsen: The Historic Victory at the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour. [online] Available at: https://www.chess.com/news/view/praggnanandhaa-vs-carlsen-the-historic-victory-at-the-freestyle-grand-slam-tour
[2] The Hindu (2025). Praggnanandhaa Defeats Carlsen in Freestyle Grand Slam Tour. [online] Available at: https://www.thehindu.com/sport/chess/praggnanandhaa-defeats-carlsen-in-freestyle-grand-slam-tour/article35336745.ece
[3] India Today (2025). Gukesh's Rapid Win Against Carlsen: A Sign of Growing Competitiveness. [online] Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/sport/chess/story/gukesh-s-rapid-win-against-carlsen-a-sign-of-growing-competitiveness-1845350-2025-04-15
Sports and health are interconnected for competitive chess players, as demonstrated by the victories of Indian prodigies Praggnanandhaa and D. Gukesh. Their triumphs over Carlsen, in both traditional and rapid formats, highlight the growing physical and mental strength of Indian players on the global chess stage.
