Semis: Arjun v. Aronian, Caruana v. Niemann
The second day of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas was one of the most intense and time-consuming days of elite-level chess in recent memory. Over the course of about ten hours, players contested knockout matches that often required tiebreaks to determine a winner. With a longer time control of 30 minutes plus a 30-second increment per move, combined with a format that included blitz games and Armageddon if necessary, several matches stretched well into the evening at the Wynn Las Vegas.
In this course, we will learn how to identify passively placed pieces in any given situation and how to improve their health by bringing them into active squares.In the upper bracket, Fabiano Caruana endured the longest and most gruelling encounter of the day against Indian prodigy Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu. Caruana lost the first of the two classical games, putting him in a must-win situation in the second. He responded under pressure with a win to level the score and push the match into tiebreaks. The players then drew both blitz games, leaving the outcome to be decided by an Armageddon game. With the draw odds in his favour, Caruana nevertheless secured victory with the black pieces, advancing to the semifinals after an exhausting match that lasted nearly half a day.
Fabiano Caruana | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Levon Aronian continued his remarkable run in Las Vegas with another high-profile upset. After eliminating Magnus Carlsen the day before in a playoff, Aronian now faced Hikaru Nakamura in the quarterfinals. Nakamura won the first game, but Aronian once again came back strongly, taking the second to equalise the score. In the ensuing blitz tiebreaks, Aronian held his nerve to knock out the world number two and book his place in the semifinals. His resilience and ability to recover from early setbacks have defined his campaign so far.
Hans Niemann also advanced to the next stage, facing off against Javokhir Sindarov in a close contest. Both classical games ended in draws, but Niemann edged the match in the blitz phase to continue his push towards the $200,000 first prize. The last remaining semifinal spot went to Arjun Erigaisi, who got the better of Nodirbek Abdusattorov. After splitting the classical games, Erigaisi outperformed his opponent in the tiebreaks to complete the line-up for the upper bracket semifinals.
Levon Aronian is the oldest player in the field | Photo: Lennart Ootes
From Mating with a queen; a rook; two bishops; a knight and a bishop; to the basics of pawn endgames – here you will gain the necessary know-how to turn your endgame advantages into victories!
Arjun Erigaisi defeated Nodirbek Abdusattorov | Photo: Lennart Ootes
Hans Niemann | Photo: Stev Bonhage
All games - Upper bracket
Carlsen, So, Keymer and Dominguez win in the lower bracket
Meanwhile, in the lower bracket, eight players competed in elimination matches, knowing that a loss would end their tournament. Magnus Carlsen, now out of the title race, managed to recover some ground by defeating Vidit Gujrathi. Wesley So overcame Sam Sevian, while Vincent Keymer beat Ray Robson. Leinier Dominguez completed the group of lower bracket winners with a victory over Bibisara Assaubayeva.
These four players – Carlsen, So, Keymer, and Dominguez – continue in the placement bracket, while the defeated players exit the event and share 13th place in the final standings.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
In this insightful video course, Grandmaster David Navara shares practical advice on when to calculate deeply in a position — and just as importantly, when not to.
Free sample video: Introduction
Free sample video: Invisible moves
Day 2 highlighted the demanding and unforgiving nature of the Freestyle Chess format. With extended time controls, lengthy tie-breaking procedures, and knockout pressure on every board, players were tested not just on the board but in terms of stamina and focus.
Vincent Keymer defeated Ray Robson | Photo: Stev Bonhage
Leinier Dominguez remains in contention in the lower bracket | Photo: Lennart Ootes
All games - Lower bracket
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