New Delhi, April 15 (H.S.):The chess world giant Magnus Carlsen has claimed the title of the Paris stage of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. In the second phase of the finals, he drew against Hikaru Nakamura and secured first place in the tournament along with a prize money of $200,000 (approximately ₹1.66 crore).

In the decisive match of the finals, Hikaru Nakamura began the game with the white pieces. In the opening phase, Nakamura adopted an aggressive strategy and defeated Carlsen's bishop positioned at h8. However, the Norwegian star quickly launched a counterattack, thwarting Nakamura's strategy with the help of his knight and rook.

Match Resolved After 41 Moves, Carlsen Becomes Champion

The competition between the two players was quite interesting. During the midgame, pieces were exchanged continuously, and both players displayed an equal game. Eventually, after 41 moves, both agreed to a draw, which crowned Magnus Carlsen as the tournament winner.

Indian Players Also Showed Excellent Performance

In this tournament, India's young grandmasters also showcased their talent. R. Praggnanandha secured the ninth position by defeating Richard Rapport.

Meanwhile, Vidit Gujrathi and D. Gukesh finished the tournament in 11th place. On the other hand, Arjun Erigaisi was just one win away from the fifth-position race against Maxim Vachier-Lagrave.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar