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The 42-year-old Armenian, Aronian, got the better of Hans Nieman in the summit clash to claim the USD 200,000 prize money at the end of an exhilarating tournament.
Levon Aronian. (X)
GM Levon Aronian got his hands on the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess 2025 trophy with his win over Hans Nieman in the final of the event on American soil.
The 42-year-old Armenian got the better of Nieman in the summit clash to claim the USD 200,000 prize money at the end of an exhilarating tournament.
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Aronian’s feat was given a further coat of sheen as he got the better of World No.1 Magnus Carlsen, No.2 Hikaru Nakamura, Indian ace Arjun Erigaisi before putting it past Nieman in the final of the event.
“It’s one of the biggest victories in my life, definitely the biggest when you count the prize fund,” Aronian said following his triumph in Nevada.
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Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa finished in sixth and seventh position respectively.
World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway experienced a similar situation, rallying after a disappointing first game to outplay Hikaru Nakamura of the United States in the third-place playoff.
Arjun lost 0-2 to Fabiano Caruana of the US, while Praggnanandhaa defeated another American, Wesley So, 1.5-0.5 to secure seventh place among the last eight participants in the event.
Aronian took home USD 200000 for winning the tournament, while Arjun earned USD 40000 for his effort. Praggnanandhaa was not far behind, pocketing a total of USD 30000 after his final round win.
Praggnanandhaa played solidly as black in the first game and secured a draw, while in the second game he was relentless, winning easily on a day when his sister R Vaishali was ousted from the FIDE Women’s World Cup in Batumi, Georgia.
Despite a promising start that saw him reach the semifinals early on, Arjun lost both his games against Caruana. However, he can take solace in finishing in the top four after the group stage concluded.
It will be a busy summer ahead for Arjun and Praggnanandhaa as both will proceed to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the E-Sports World Cup starting in a few days’ time.
Arjun will then participate in the Chennai Grandmasters tournament starting in the first week of August, while Praggnanandhaa will return to the United States for two consecutive events of the Grand Chess Tour in St. Louis.
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