Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Day 5: Nepo and Nakamura Take a look at Caruana’s Theories

The Semifinals of the 2025 Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam bought off to a quiet begin, as GMs Fabiano Caruana and Magnus Carlsen drew their sport, as did GMs Hikaru Nakamura and Vincent Keymer. In the meantime, the matches to find out Fifth-Eighth place heated up as each GMs Ian Nepomniachtchi and Nodirbek Abdusattorov received highly effective attacking video games.

As common, the spherical started with huddles between teams of gamers about to have the white items and people about to play Black.

Nakamura reported that Caruana had advocated for White’s possibilities, claiming that “this Slav construction with d4 d5 c4 c6 c5 is sweet for White in nearly each place. Earlier than the sport, myself, Ian and Fabi, I believe all of us thought it was very promising.”

Caruana did not handle to succeed in his favored construction, however each Nakamura and Nepomniachtchi reached their goal place on transfer 4 and aimed to check Caruana’s concept.

Knockout Standings

Caruana ½ – ½ Carlsen

“Magnus, subsequent time, be slightly slower so we will observe it too!” —Judit Polgar, former Prime 10 star

Leko factors out that after Magnus investigated 4.d4 so deeply the 4.Bxg6 that Caruana performed within the sport could be “a whole chilly bathe”https://t.co/PcPli9eM8E#FreestyleChess pic.twitter.com/UTYeAEDc75

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 11, 2025

Caruana navigated the problems and reached a secure endgame, which appeared like a draw, however the place White would have some slight stress. GM Peter Leko speculated that the sport ought to be drawn, however that Carlsen understood that risks lurked for Black, saying, “If he could be with the white items he could be very to proceed this sport.”

If [Carlsen] could be with the white items he could be very to proceed this sport.

—Peter Leko

The world champion joined the commentary group and speculated that, “I believe the query is how simple is the draw right here. I am beginning to assume it isn’t that simple.” Nonetheless, Carlsen not solely defended, he received a pawn and pressed for a win earlier than the gamers reached a draw with naked kings. 

Caruana and Carlsen play on to reveal kings, so the match is all sq. going into tomorrow’s 2nd day of the Paris #FreestyleChess Semifinals! pic.twitter.com/wH9giag7mO

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 11, 2025

After a brief day on the workplace, Carlsen discovered time to compete in Freestyle Friday.

Some folks simply cannot get sufficient of #FreestyleChess, with Magnus enjoying Freestyle Friday after the primary day of the Paris Semifinals! https://t.co/Om4A3CVS5b pic.twitter.com/QVFdkI9sZD

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 11, 2025

Nakamura ½ – ½ Keymer

Nakamura was completely happy to check Caruana’s idea {that a} area benefit within the Slav construction ought to favor White. Nonetheless, he admitted after the sport that he could not determine find out how to show the benefit and even mentioned that, “In some unspecified time in the future I form of misplaced management. I simply misplaced (my) sense of hazard.” Keymer had a greater construction and a cushty place within the middlegame, however did not see a path to extra and the gamers finally break up the purpose.

In some unspecified time in the future I form of misplaced management. I simply misplaced (my) sense of hazard.

—Hikaru Nakamura

whoever wins the following freestyle RR is randomly selecting anybody however vincent

— MrDodgy (@ChessProblem) April 11, 2025

Nakamura recorded his personal evaluation of the sport.

Fifth-Eighth Place Matches

Whereas Nakamura wasn’t in a position to show any benefit for White within the Slav construction, Nepomniachtchi had no such difficulties in opposition to GM Arjun Erigaisi. He constructed an area benefit and located a robust change sacrifice for a pawn, permitting him a mass of pawns on the queenside. Arjun had some possibilities to defend, however when he allowed the white a-pawn to advance all the way in which to a7 on transfer 28, it was solely a matter of time earlier than Nepomniachtchi received the sport.

The opposite decisive sport of the day was equally sensible. Abdusattorov practically defeated Carlsen yesterday and wasn’t going to let GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave escape the identical approach. 

ninth Place Match

GMs Richard Rapport and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu every received their matches yesterday and are competing for ninth place within the event. They performed probably the most exact video games of the day, with each gamers enjoying rigorously. Rapport finally received a pawn within the ending, however the presence of opposite-colored bishops meant that Black was by no means in critical hazard.

Grand Slam Tour Adjustments 

Match organizer Jan Henric Buettner introduced at present that the following occasion within the Freestyle Grand Slam, which was beforehand scheduled for New York Metropolis, has been moved to Las Vegas.

Jan Henric Buettner pronounces that the following #FreestyleChess Grand Slam can be not in New York however in Las Vegas in July. The event can be reduce from 8 to five days to attraction extra to TV, with the 90+30 video games reduce to 45+10, so two could be held on in the future pic.twitter.com/jtbAEuNjD8

— chess24 (@chess24com) April 11, 2025

The freestyle event will observe a chess occasion with NBA gamers in July. Will probably be a shorter event, working for 5 days as a substitute of eight, and have a sooner time management of 45 minutes, with a 10-second increment. That can permit for multiple sport per day. The brand new format will permit gamers who’re eradicated within the Spherical-Robin stage to nonetheless compete for third place within the event.