Levon Aronian is the winner of Freestyle Chess Las Vegas
Levon Aronian is the winner of Freestyle Chess Las Vegas after defeating Hans Niemann 1,5-0,5 in the final match. Replay the games here
Levon Aronian had an outstanding performance at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas, held from July 16–20, 2025, at the Wynn Las Vegas. He advanced to the Grand Final, defeating top players like Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi en route. Aronian secured his spot in the upper bracket by defeating Carlsen 2-0 in a blitz tiebreak during the group stage, despite an earlier loss to him. He then knocked out Nakamura 2.5-1.5 in the quarterfinals and swept Erigaisi 2-0 in the semifinals, winning both classical games without needing tiebreaks.
In his final match with Hans Niemann, Levon Aronian dogged a bullet in game 1, where he saved the position on multiple occasions. Aronian completely controlled the second game from the start to the end and deserved the hefty first prize of $200,000.
Developing story, stay tuned for more
Levon Aronian – Hans Niemann 1-0
Levon Aronian in Las Vegas Freestyle Chess in Tweets