Nakamura shines, Aronian stuns Carlsen in day 1 of Las Vegas Freestyle
Hikaru Nakamura, Hans Niemann, Arjun Erigaisi, and Fabiano Caruana qualified to the Quarterfinals of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess from the White Group of the events. Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, and Sindarov took the first three positions in the Black group and continue the race in the Quarterfinals
Levon Aronian and Magnus Carlsen had to decide the fourth position in a tiebreak. Levon Aronian won the game and knocked Magnus Carlsen down to the Lower Quarterfinals. See what this means for Magnus Carlsen here
Las Vegas Freestyle will take place July 16–20, 2025, at the Wynn Las Vegas, specifically in the 50,000-square-foot Lafite Ballroom. It’s the third leg of the 2025 tour – after Paris Freestyle and Grenke Freestyle – and the first Freestyle Chess event in the U.S. open to live spectators. It features 16 top grandmasters in a five-day event with a group stage (round-robin, 10+10 time control) followed by a double-elimination knockout (30+30 for key stages). The prize fund is $750,000, contributing to the tour’s points system to crown the first Freestyle Chess Champion in Cape Town.
Participants: Las Vegas Freestyle Chess participants
Information: Las Vegas Freestyle chess format explained + flow chat / Schedule / Pairings
Live: Las Vegas Freestyle Chess LIVE / Freestyle Las Vegas LIVE, round robin white / Freestyle Las Vegas LIVE, round robin black
Final standing Freestyle Chess Las Vegas white group
| 1 | GM | Praggnanandhaa, R | IND | 2773 | 4.5 |
| 2 | GM | Abdusattorov, Nodirbek | UZB | 2702 | 4.5 |
| 3 | GM | Sindarov, Javokhir | UZB | 2702 | 4.5 |
| 4 | GM | Aronian, Levon | NOR | 2909 | 4 |
| 5 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | USA | 2737 | 4 |
| 6 | GM | Keymer, Vincent | GER | 2766 | 3 |
| 7 | GM | So, Wesley | USA | 2737 | 3 |
| 8 | IM | Assaubayeva, Bibisara | KAZ | 2506 | 0.5 |
Final standing Freestyle Chess Las Vegas black group
| 1 | GM | Nakamura, Hikaru | USA | 2818 | 6 |
| 2 | GM | Niemann, Hans Moke | USA | 2722 | 4.5 |
| 3 | GM | Erigaisi, Arjun | IND | 2758 | 4 |
| 4 | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | USA | 2804 | 4 |
| 5 | GM | Dominguez Perez, Leinier | USA | 2749 | 3 |
| 6 | GM | Sevian, Samuel | USA | 2683 | 2.5 |
| 7 | GM | Robson, Ray | USA | 2687 | 2.5 |
| 8 | GM | Vidit, Santosh Gujrathi | IND | 2713 | 1.5 |
Quarterfinal – Round 1 (2025/07/17)
| Board | White | Rating | vs | Black | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Praggnanandhaa R (IND) | 2793 | vs | GM Fabiano Caruana (USA) | 2804 |
| 2 | GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) | 2702 | vs | GM Arjun Erigaisi (IND) | 2758 |
| 3 | GM Levon Aronian (USA) | 2737 | vs | GM Hikaru Nakamura (USA) | 2818 |
| 4 | GM Hans Moke Niemann (USA) | 2722 | vs | GM Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) | 2702 |
Lower bracket – Round 1 (2025/07/17)
| Board | White | Rating | vs | Black | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) | 2909 | vs | GM Vidit Gujrathi (IND) | 2713 |
| 2 | GM Ray Robson (USA) | 2687 | vs | GM Vincent Keymer (GER) | 2766 |
| 3 | GM Leinier Dominguez (USA) | 2749 | vs | IM Bibisara Assaubayeva (KAZ) | 2506 |
| 4 | GM Samuel Sevian (USA) | 2683 | vs | GM Wesley So (USA) | 2737 |