In an exciting match at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas, 19-year-old Indian chess star R Praggnanandhaa defeated World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen on July 17, 2025. The young grandmaster outplayed the five-time world champion in just 39 moves, showcasing his incredible talent in the unique Freestyle Chess format.
Praggnanandhaa, playing with white pieces, showed remarkable skill with a 93.9% accuracy rate, while Carlsen struggled at 84.9%. This win helped Praggnanandhaa secure a joint lead in Group White with 4.5 points, alongside Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. Carlsen, despite a strong start, finished fifth in the group after losing a tiebreaker to Levon Aronian, ending his chance to win the Las Vegas title.
This victory marks another milestone for Praggnanandhaa, who has now beaten Carlsen in all three major chess formats: Classical, Rapid, and Blitz. Another Indian chess prodigy, D Gukesh, also defeated Magnus Carlsen in classical chess at the Norway Chess tournament on June 1, 2025, further highlighting the rise of Indian chess talent. The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, held at the Wynn Las Vegas, features a $750,000 prize pool, with $200,000 for the winner. Praggnanandhaa’s performance signals a bright future for Indian chess on the global stage.
Also See: Pulin Das: The Pioneer of Assam Sports
Also See: Italy Qualifies for the first time in T20 World Cup
