Carlsen, Praggnanandhaa Eliminated at Las Vegas Chess960

At the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, Indian grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa defeated world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen in the group stage, contributing to Carlsen's early tournament exit. Praggnanandhaa then bested Fabiano Caruana in the quarterfinals but was eliminated after losing an Armageddon tiebreak following a 3-3 draw. Arjun Erigaisi became the only Indian to reach the semifinals by defeating Nodirbek Abdusattorov. Levon Aronian and Hans Niemann also advanced to the semifinals. Carlsen, who failed to progress past the group stage, attributed his poor performance to a 'collapse of his nervous system' and feelings of isolation. The tournament showcased the growing influence of young Indian grandmasters and marked an unusual setback for Carlsen.