R Praggnanandhaa Beats Magnus twice, Yet Loses Semifinal. A Tale of Brilliance and Brutal Comebacks

Here's What Happened!

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated the world number one, Magnus Carlsen, in the first game of their freestyle chess match at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas.
Later, R Praggnanandhaa again beat Magnus for the second time on Day 4, proving that his first win over Carlsen was no fluke. However, Carlsen bounced back to thrash the Indian Grandmaster and advance further in the tournament.
Summary:
•    R Praggnanandhaa defeated Magnus Carlsen in the first game.
•    Carlsen won the second game and then the blitz tiebreak 2-0 to win the semifinal match.
•    Praggnanandhaa scored three straight wins in Group A, including a Round 4 victory over Carlsen
•    Praggnanandhaa became the most consistent player in group A, scoring three straight wins from rounds two to four.
Such losses from Indian GMs highlight the mental pressure the legend is facing. Yet it is worth noting that he remains arguably the best player on the circuit. Carlsen won the reverse game in the classification match for the third spot before beating the Chennai chess star in tiebreaks as well.
Carlsen ended the day by reaching the Lower Bracket final by beating India’s Arjun Erigaisi in the semi-finals after thumping Praggnanandhaa in the quarter-finals and will face close friend and world No.2 Hikaru Nakamura in the final for the third spot at the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.
Carlsen bounced back by winning three consecutive games against Praggnanandhaa, as he secured the second game of the quarter-finals and also won the two blitz tiebreaks to advance in the tournament.
The final of the Freestyle Chess Las Vegas Grand Slam will be played between controversial GM Hans Niemann and Levon Aronian.

Analysis:

Despite not making it to the final, Praggnanandhaa's back-to-back victories over Carlsen on such a grand stage mark a new high point in his rising career. The losses underscore the demanding mental and tactical endurance required at the highest level, particularly in freestyle formats.

Carlsen, despite early setbacks, reminded the world why he remains the benchmark in chess with his clinical wins in must-win situations.

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