TV
Teenage Indian Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa made a powerful statement at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas, defeating World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in a commanding Round 4 performance on Wednesday.
In what is being hailed as a milestone moment in his career, the 19-year-old convincingly beat the Norwegian legend in just 39 moves, further cementing his status as a rising force in international chess and continuing Carlsen's recent struggles against India’s emerging stars.
With the white pieces, Praggnanandhaa dictated the pace of the game from the outset, achieving an impressive accuracy rate of 93.9%, while Carlsen managed a surprisingly low 84.9%. The match, played under a 10-minute base time with a 10-second increment, saw the young Indian showcase remarkable poise and strategic brilliance rarely displayed against the five-time world champion. The win not only secured him the top spot in Group White at that point in the tournament but also completed his trifecta of victories over Carlsen in Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats.
“I enjoy Freestyle more than Classical at the moment,” Praggnanandhaa said in a calm post-match interview, highlighting his composed and fearless approach to the high-stakes encounter.
Adding to the significance of the win, the Las Vegas event is part of a series co-founded by Carlsen himself and centers on the innovative Freestyle (Chess960) format. Defeating the tournament's creator in such dominant fashion made Praggnanandhaa’s victory all the more meaningful.
