In a thrilling display of skill, India's 19-year-old chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa outplayed world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in Round 4 of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour at the Wynn Las Vegas. The young Grandmaster clinched victory in just 39 moves under a 10-minute plus 10-second increment time control, adding another chapter to his growing rivalry with the Norwegian legend. This win marks Praggnanandhaa's triumph over Carlsen in all three chess formats—Classical, Rapid, and Blitz—solidifying his status as a rising star.

Praggnanandhaa’s stellar performance saw him secure a joint lead in the eight-player White Group with 4.5/7 points, alongside Nodirbek Abdusattorov and Javokhir Sindarov. His journey in the group stage included a draw against Abdusattorov with Black, a win over Bibisara Assaubayeva, and a victory against Vincent Keymer, also with Black, before his stunning upset against Carlsen. With three tournament wins already this year, the Indian prodigy is proving to be a formidable force.

Meanwhile, Carlsen, the reigning tour leader and winner of Freestyle Chess events in Paris and Karlsruhe, faced a rough day. After starting with two wins, he stumbled with losses to Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So, plus two draws. Needing a win in the final round to stay in title contention, Carlsen defeated Assaubayeva but fell to Levon Aronian in a playoff, dropping to the lower bracket and ending his chances for the Las Vegas title.

Also Read: Deepti Sharma’s Heroics Seal India’s Win Over England

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam’s first UoplusS. debut at the Wynn Las Vegas featured two eight-player round-robins—White and Black Groups—with the top four from each advancing to the knockout stage. In the Black Group, Hikaru Nakamura dominated with 6/7, joined by Hans Niemann, Fabiano Caruana, and Arjun Erigaisi in the upper bracket. Caruana secured his spot with a crucial final-round win over Niemann after six draws.

As the tournament moves to the quarterfinals on Thursday, the stakes are high with a USD 200,000 first prize on the line. While Praggnanandhaa and the upper bracket contenders battle for glory, Carlsen and others in the lower bracket fight for pride and placement. The chess world watches as India’s young star continues to shine on the global stage.

Also Read: Sindhu Stumbles, Satwik-Chirag and Lakshya Shine at Japan Open