The Las Vegas tournament is the third event in this year's Freestyle Chess Grand Slam series, following Weissenhaus (Germany) and Paris (France). Held from 16/7 to 20/7, the tournament features 16 players, including Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and Hans Niemann. 19-year-old Gukesh Dommaraju declined his invitation to participate.

The 16 players are divided into two groups (named White and Black), with eight players in each, competing in a round-robin format. The top 4 players from each group advance to the upper bracket of a double-elimination playoff. The bottom 4 enter the lower bracket. A loss in the upper bracket sends a player to the lower bracket, while a loss in the lower bracket results in elimination. The final will be contested between the two undefeated players from the upper bracket. Players who drop to the lower bracket can finish no higher than third.

The group stage consists of rapid games with a 10+10 time control (10 minutes per side, plus a 10-second increment per move). On the morning of 17/7, Hanoi time, Carlsen began the White group competition smoothly with two victories against Vincent Keymer and Levon Aronian. Following a draw with Javokhir Sindarov, the Norwegian suffered unexpected losses to Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu and Wesley So. He then drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov and concluded the group stage with a win against the sole female competitor, Bibisara Assaubayeva.

Magnus Carlsen (right) during his loss to Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu in the fourth round of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam group stage at the Wynn Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on 16/7/2025. Photo: Freestyle Chess/Lennart Ootes

Carlsen finished the group stage tied for fourth place with Aronian, both with 4 points. Praggnanandhaa, Sindarov, and Abdusattorov all advanced directly with 4.5 points each. Carlsen and Aronian then competed in a blitz tie-break for the final spot in the upper bracket. Carlsen lost both games, ending his hopes of winning the Las Vegas title.

While Carlsen played the tie-break, Niemann was invited to the commentary booth. The 22-year-old American enthusiastically cheered for Aronian. Niemann and Carlsen have a history of animosity, stemming from Carlsen's accusations of cheating against Niemann in over-the-board chess. Niemann has previously stated that Carlsen is trying to ruin his chess career.

In the Black group, Niemann secured second place and a spot in the upper bracket quarterfinals. He won 4 games against Arjun Erigaisi, Leinier Dominguez, Ray Robson, and Vidit Gujrathi, lost two to Nakamura and Caruana, and drew with Sam Sevian.

Nakamura currently leads the tournament with 5 wins and two draws, topping the Black group with 6 points. Erigaisi and Caruana also advanced to the upper bracket from this group.

The quarterfinals begin on 18/7. Each match consists of two games with a 30+30 time control. Draws will be resolved by tie-breaks. The Grand Slam will crown a new champion, as both previous winners, Carlsen and Keymer, have been relegated to the lower bracket.

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam is a series of 960 chess tournaments held throughout the year. This is a rare instance of Carlsen being eliminated from title contention in the group stage of any tournament. The champion will receive 200,000 USD, with a total prize fund of 750,000 USD.

Xuan Binh