Indian Prodigies Shine: Erigaisi & Praggnanandhaa in Top 8

Las Vegas, Jul 21 (PTI) Indian chess prodigies Arjun Erigaisi and R Praggnanandhaa showcased their remarkable talent by securing sixth and seventh places respectively at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas. Grandmaster Levon Aronian from the United States emerged victorious, displaying exceptional skill.

Aronian faced tense moments but ultimately triumphed over fellow American Hans Moke Niemann with a score of 1.5-0.5 in the tournament finals. Meanwhile, world number one Magnus Carlsen from Norway overcame a challenging start to defeat Hikaru Nakamura of the United States in the third-place play-off.

In other matches, Arjun Erigaisi faced off against Fabiano Caruana from the US but was bested with a score of 0-2. On a brighter note, R Praggnanandhaa defeated American Wesley So, securing seventh spot with a 1.5-0.5 victory among the final eight competitors.

Financial rewards were substantial, with Aronian taking home USD 200,000 for his first-place finish. Arjun was awarded USD 40,000 for his performance, while Praggnanandhaa earned USD 30,000 following his final round triumph.

Praggnanandhaa displayed solid strategies, drawing as black in the first game and decisively winning the second, coinciding with the unfortunate elimination of his sister R Vaishali from the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi, Georgia.

Despite a strong start that saw him reach the early stage semifinals, Arjun experienced defeat against Caruana. Nevertheless, his top-four finish after the group stage remains a commendable achievement.

Upcoming Challenges for the young chess stars include the E-Sports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, scheduled soon. Arjun will later participate in the Chennai Grandmasters tournament in early August, while Praggnanandhaa is set to return to the United States for consecutive Grand Chess tour events in St. Louis.

Final Results: Levon Aronian (USA) defeated Hans Moke Niemann (USA) 1.5-0.5; Magnus Carlsen (Norge) defeated Hikaru Nakamura (USA) 1.5-0.5; For 5th-6th position: Arjun Erigaisi (India) lost to Fabiano Caruana (USA) 0-2; For 7th-8th position: R Praggnanandhaa (India) defeated Wesley So (USA) 1.5-0.5.

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