Aronian wins top chess prize in Las Vegas; Niemann rejoices over Carlsen's defeat

Levon Aronian Secures Victory in Las Vegas Chess Tournament

At 42, Levon Aronian, the oldest competitor in the event, achieved what he called "one of the crown jewels" of his career by winning the $200,000 top prize at the Las Vegas stop of the Freestyle Grand Slam last weekend. Aronian delivered a standout performance, defeating world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, No. 2 Hikaru Nakamura, and No. 5 Arjun Erigaisi on his path to victory.

Carlsen took third place with $100,000, finishing behind his rival Hans Niemann. Their contentious encounter at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup had previously led to cheating accusations and a $100 million lawsuit, settled out of court.

Niemann, who joined the commentary team for the final match between Aronian and Carlsen, celebrated his successful run and a post-game exchange with the winner.

Carlsen attributed his loss to a "complete collapse" of his composure. Alongside his defeat to Aronian, he also fell victim to a four-move checkmate by Wesley So. However, he recovered with five straight wins before defeating Nakamura for third place and still leads the overall standings heading into the next stage in September and the finals in December.

Niemann showcased strong play by defeating U.S. champion Fabiano Caruana 2.5-1.5, despite prior struggles against him. In their third game, Caruana accepted a draw by repetition despite holding an advantage, prompting Niemann to remark, "I think my nerves under time pressure are stronger than his. I play more blitz, I'm younger, and I think faster."

Niemann faced his toughest challenge in the final, where Aronian prevailed 1.5-0.5 after Niemann missed a critical winning move in a pawn race. Nakamura also narrowly missed securing a decisive advantage against Carlsen, ultimately losing 0.5-1.5. The high-pressure setting, with half a million dollars at stake, seemed to affect all competitors.

The future of the Freestyle Tour remains uncertain. Though its $3.75 million prize pool surpasses even the $1.5 million allocated for chess at the upcoming Esports World Cup, it hinges on a $12 million investment from Left Lane Capital, predicated on attracting significant viewership.

So far, this expectation has not materialized, despite strong live attendance. Spectators were permitted to use phones and speak freely, while players used headphones to block noise. Originally planned as a slower classical event to accommodate Carlsen, time controls were adjusted to one-hour rapid games for faster pacing.

The Tour faces criticism from many top players because participation is effectively limited to the world’s top 25-30, rated above FIDE 2700.