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NEW DELHI: The preliminary phase of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, hosted in Paris, concluded its eleven-round competition on Tuesday.
This stage saw twelve contenders vying for eight available positions in the subsequent knockout phase. The competition was fierce, and the results were closely contested.
Ian Nepomniachtchi and Magnus Carlsen emerged as the leading players, each amassing 8.5 points by the end of the preliminary rounds.
Nepomniachtchi, however, was declared the top finisher over Carlsen due to having superior tiebreak scores.
Following them, Maxime Vachier-Lagrave claimed the third spot with a total of 7 points. Arjun Erigaisi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov were not far behind, each securing 6.5 points.
Hikaru Nakamura also made it through to the knockout stage by earning 6 points. His qualification was highlighted by a crucial game against Abdusattorov, where Nakamura managed to defend a challenging endgame under significant time constraints.
Poll
Was the elimination of Gukesh Dommaraju surprising to you?
A significant outcome from the preliminary rounds was the elimination of World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju.
The 18-year-old prodigy faced difficulties from the outset of the final day, having accumulated only 1.5 points.
His situation worsened after an early mistake against Nepomniachtchi in the eleventh round, which put him at a disadvantage from the seventh move.
Winner of the German leg earlier this year, Vincent Keymer’s performance was noteworthy as well, as he clinched his spot in the top eight by defeating Fabiano Caruana in the last round.
This victory brought his total to 5.5 points. Caruana, despite his loss to Keymer, managed to advance to the knockout stage with 4.5 points, aided by Nakamura’s win against Richard Rapport in the concluding game.
The tournament also saw the exit of several strong contenders, including Praggnanandhaa, Rapport, and Vidit Gujrathi.
Newly-married Gujrathi’s victory over Caruana, featuring a tactical mating strategy, was a highlight, though it was not sufficient to overcome his earlier setbacks in the tournament.
Rapport’s play was marked by inventive strategies, including a notable queen sacrifice for mate, yet these efforts did not translate into enough points to secure qualification.
READ ALSO: The mystery of Hans Niemann and his last-minute withdrawal from Freestyle Chess Paris tour
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