Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi on Friday became the first Indian to reach the semifinals of the prestigious Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. Erigaisi secured a clinical 1.5-0.5 victory over Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov in the quarterfinals to storm into the final four of the USD 750,000 tournament.
In a contrasting result, fellow Indian prodigy R Praggnanandhaa bowed out of the title race after a gripping seven-game thriller against USA`s Fabiano Caruana. Despite leading at three different stages, Praggnanandhaa eventually lost 3-4 in what was one of the most fiercely contested matches of the round.
Erigaisi displayed complete control in his match against Abdusattorov. In the second game, playing with the white pieces, he secured a rook for a bishop early on, converting his material advantage with precision. It was a dominant performance that resembled a classical game more than a freestyle one. The first game too saw Erigaisi in the driver`s seat, but a few late inaccuracies allowed the Uzbek player to escape with a draw.
The other semifinal matchups were decided after a thrilling set of quarterfinal clashes. The American duo of Levon Aronian and Hans Moke Niemann also advanced, defeating Hikaru Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov respectively. Aronian edged out Nakamura 2.5-1.5, while Niemann battled through six games to beat Sindarov 4-2.
The semifinal line-up now sees Erigaisi taking on Aronian, while Caruana will clash with Niemann in what promises to be a thrilling all-American duel.
Meanwhile, in the lower bracket, world number one Magnus Carlsen bounced back in style, defeating India’s Vidit Gujrathi 2-0. Carlsen, who had a rocky start to the event, was back to his ruthless best.
Other results in the lower bracket saw Wesley So defeat compatriot Samuel Sevian 1.5-0.5, while Lenier Dominguez Perez eased past Kazakhstan’s Bibisara Assaubayeva with an identical scoreline. Germany’s Vincent Keymer, winner of the tour’s first leg, overcame American Robson Ray 2.5-1.5.
Though Praggnanandhaa’s run in the main bracket has come to an end, his campaign continues in the lower bracket where he will compete with seven other players for a second chance at glory.
Quarterfinal results
- Arjun Erigaisi (India) bt Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzbekistan) 1.5-0.5
- Fabiano Caruana (USA) bt R Praggnanandhaa (India) 4-3
- Levon Aronian (USA) bt Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 2.5-1.5
- Hans Niemann (USA) bt Javokhir Sindarov (Uzbekistan) 4-2
Lower bracket results
- Magnus Carlsen (Norway) bt Vidit Gujrathi (India) 2-0
- Wesley So (USA) bt Samuel Sevian (USA) 1.5-0.5
- Lenier Dominguez Perez (USA) bt Bibisara Assaubayeva (Kazakhstan) 1.5-0.5
- Vincent Keymer (Germany) bt Robson Ray (USA) 2.5-1.5
(With PTI inputs)
