GM Magnus Carlsen continues his streak of perfection within the 2025 Grenke Chess Freestyle Open, now with seven rounds below his belt. He gained a clean recreation in opposition to GM Awonder Liang earlier than his rollercoaster recreation in opposition to GM Parham Maghsoodloo, who misplaced on time—able the place the Iranian grandmaster was nonetheless enjoying for the win regardless of being objectively misplaced.
Monday, April 21, is the ultimate day that has two extra rounds. Spherical eight will begin at 4:00 a.m. ET / 10:00 CEST / 1:30 p.m. IST, adopted by spherical 9 at 10:00 a.m. ET / 16:00 CEST / 7:30 p.m. IST.
Carlsen now leads by a full level. His closest trailers are GMs Andrey Esipenko and Rauf Mamedov, some extent behind.
Standings After Spherical 7 | Prime 20
| Rk. | Title | Title | Rtg | FED | Pts. |
| 1 | GM | Carlsen Magnus | 2837 | 7 | |
| 2 | GM | Mamedov Rauf | 2657 | 6 | |
| 3 | GM | Esipenko Andrey | 2696 | 6 | |
| 4 | GM | Jobava Baadur | 2600 | 5.5 | |
| 5 | GM | Sindarov Javokhir | 2706 | 5.5 | |
| GM | Bluebaum Matthias | 2662 | 5.5 | ||
| 7 | GM | Svane Frederik | 2668 | 5.5 | |
| 8 | GM | Tabatabaei M. Amin | 2661 | 5.5 | |
| 9 | GM | Dominguez Perez Leinier | 2738 | 5.5 | |
| GM | Keymer Vincent | 2718 | 5.5 | ||
| GM | Sarana Alexey | 2672 | 5.5 | ||
| GM | Navara David | 2665 | 5.5 | ||
| 13 | GM | Caruana Fabiano | 2776 | 5.5 | |
| GM | Maghsoodloo Parham | 2684 | 5.5 | ||
| GM | Van Foreest Jorden | 2681 | 5.5 | ||
| 16 | GM | Anton Guijarro David | 2639 | 5.5 | |
| 17 | GM | Vachier-Lagrave Maxime | 2722 | 5.5 | |
| 18 | GM | Liang Awonder | 2692 | 5 | |
| GM | Pultinevicius Paulius | 2558 | 5 | ||
| 20 | GM | Mendonca Leon Luke | 2643 | 5 |
(See full standings right here.)
In case you’re not in Karlsruhe, you possibly can nonetheless fly by way of the enjoying corridor with 1,500 chessboards by watching the video beneath.
Spherical 6: Maghsoodloo Surges
“Spherical six was one which actually favored the favorites,” mentioned commentator IM Lawrence Trent. Carlsen stayed within the lead with one other win, whereas Maghsoodloo slid into sole second with a black win of his personal. A number of attracts on the opposite boards solely prolonged Carlsen’s lead.
The next place can be the battleground for spherical six.
Carlsen had a really clean morning recreation with the black items, and he is mentioned in a number of interviews now that he has loads of vitality for the primary recreation. It is the second that is “bleh!” in his phrases. He guessed that it has been about 20 years since he is performed two rounds in at some point.
Liang adopted basic opening rules by occupying the middle with two pawns, however his items weren’t correctly organized to assist them from behind. Beginning with 6…f5, Carlsen undermined the middle and, many strikes later, finally gained the e-pawn. It appeared like Liang might combat for a very long time, however the recreation ended rapidly after 24.Nf3? misplaced a second pawn.
Maghsoodloo’s win in opposition to GM Leon Luke Mendonca featured an analogous theme: the combat in opposition to White’s heart. In a chaotic recreation, it was the Iranian grandmaster who was faster to get on the opponent’s king as he achieved two rooks on White’s second rank. On the final second, nevertheless, White might have opted for a pawn-down place that was defensible with 35.Nxh2, however 35.Rf3??, performed within the recreation, instantly misplaced the change.
GM Paulius Pultinevicius, who upset GM Javokhir Sindarov on yesterday, might have joined Maghsoodloo on 5.5/6 if he gained the theoretically drawn f- and h-pawn rook endgame. However GM Alexey Sarana held it to a draw, giving no possibilities.
GM Baadur Jobava vs. GM Matthias Bluebaum additionally led to a clear draw, although there was much less pleasure in that recreation, so no person however Maghsoodloo was capable of keep a half-point behind Carlsen.
Sarana-Pultinevicius is a theoretical draw, but when Pultinevicius can squeeze out a win he’ll be part of Maghsoodloo in 2nd place and certain face Carlsen subsequent! https://t.co/xv3MVFkD2m#FreestyleChess #GrenkeChess pic.twitter.com/mUmaTzIa8m
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 20, 2025
As for a couple of pre-tournament favorites, GM Fabiano Caruana had gained three consecutive video games since shedding in spherical three. He was one among seven gamers some extent behind, although he was stopped by Jobava with a attract spherical seven, even after he had gained a bit.
If Caruana had gained that recreation, we could have seen a Caruana vs. Carlsen encounter in spherical eight.
GM Ian Nepomniachtchi was additionally on monitor to win in spherical six however was unable to place away GM David Anton Guijarro. Nepomniachtchi was seen muttering after he’d made the final mistake, 36.Nxb6?, when 36.axb6 would have gained. One other attract his subsequent recreation, in opposition to GM Daniel Dardha, means Nepomniachtchi is out of the operating to win the match.
Ian Nepomniachtchi mutters to himself in anger after blundering in a profitable place — now David Anton ought to be capable of draw! https://t.co/2xubwN4W69#FreestyleChess #GrenkeChess pic.twitter.com/5CfJtRmdrs
— chess24 (@chess24com) April 20, 2025
Up subsequent was the massive encounter between Maghsoodloo and Carlsen.
Spherical 7: Carlsen Wins On Time, Leads By 1 Level
Leko referred to as the sport between Carlsen and Maghsoodloo “the sport of the match” to date. One ought to all the time anticipate hearth on the board when the Iranian grandmaster performs, and this recreation was no exception.
Esipenko and Mamedov gained their video games to remain as shut as potential to Carlsen. You’ll be able to see different outcomes on the highest boards beneath.
Spherical seven featured place 76, and Carlsen mentioned he already favored it. One concept we noticed on a couple of boards was assembly Black’s …e5 with a “King’s Gambit” or “Vienna” f4-push, as Leko referred to as it, a pawn break we’d see in Carlsen’s recreation.
Carlsen, who achieved a gap benefit after Maghsoodloo’s 4…d5?, created the primary imbalance when he traded two minor items for a rook and two pawns, and fairly rapidly each gamers began making errors in an impossible-to-understand place. Carlsen defined after the sport that he wasn’t calculating so nicely however was nonetheless sensible given the circumstances:
I assumed, my mind is so fried that I am not going to have the ability to discover a good resolution even when I feel, so let me simply play rapidly, put stress on time, and spoiler alert, that really labored out in the long run.
Maghsoodloo’s uncompromising play is usually a reward and a curse, as he performed for a win till the final transfer, lengthy after it had stopped making sense to take action. Carlsen defined that he anticipated 23…Qe6, after which he would have needed to power a draw, however then added, “However he was enjoying for a win! That is the factor!”
Maghsoodloo went for issues and, even within the closing place when he misplaced on time earlier than enjoying 29…Kb5, he was nonetheless pushing for the win, “which is sort of loopy,” as Carlsen put it. This would have been our Recreation of the Day analyzed by GM Rafael Leitao, however seeing as Carlsen went by way of the entire recreation from transfer one, we now have included Carlsen’s ideas as a substitute beneath.
At this level, Carlsen appears to be operating away with the match, and many of the gamers on the highest boards must be cheering him on to proceed profitable (aside from his future opponents!). As a result of Carlsen has already certified for Las Vegas, it signifies that second place would earn the ticket.
Esipenko and Mamedov are in the perfect place going into spherical eight, after wins respectively in opposition to GMs Pranesh M and Paulius Pultinevicius.
Esipenko gained a pleasant recreation that began with the “Hen’s Opening,” 1.f4. After Black performed 12…f4? 13.d5! was a properly calculated rejoinder, and Esipenko transformed the benefit flawlessly. Leitao analyzes that recreation beneath.
In the meantime, Mamedov gained a wild, 81-move fistfight in opposition to Pultinevicius to remain some extent behind Carlsen. His reward? He’ll play Carlsen within the morning spherical on Monday!
German number-one GM Vincent Keymer is among the 13 gamers 1.5 factors behind Carlsen. He made a draw in opposition to GM Aryan Chopra in spherical six, however importantly gained in spherical seven in opposition to GM Sergei Movsesian (in 16 strikes!). He laid naked the stakes for the final two rounds: “Anything than 2/2 [on Monday] is out of the race. I do not assume that there is a actual probability that somebody with 7/9 will take a spot that is not certified but.”
Anything than 2/2 [on Monday] is out of the race.
—Vincent Keymer
We’ll see Mamedov vs. Carlsen on board one, whereas Keymer is in just about a must-win state of affairs in opposition to Esipenko, on six factors, on the second board.
Spherical 8 Pairings | Prime 10
| Bo. | No. | Title | White | Rtg | Pts. | Pts. | Title | Black | Rtg | |
| 1 | 29 | GM | Mamedov, Rauf | 2657 | 6 | 7 | GM | Carlsen, Magnus | 2837 | |
| 2 | 14 | GM | Keymer, Vincent | 2718 | 5½ | 6 | GM | Esipenko, Andrey | 2696 | |
| 3 | 23 | GM | Sarana, Alexey | 2672 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Caruana, Fabiano | 2776 | |
| 4 | 25 | GM | Navara, David | 2665 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Dominguez Perez, Leinier | 2738 | |
| 5 | 27 | GM | Tabatabaei, M. Amin | 2661 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime | 2722 | |
| 6 | 16 | GM | Sindarov, Javokhir | 2706 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Svane, Frederik | 2668 | |
| 7 | 20 | GM | Maghsoodloo, Parham | 2684 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Bluebaum, Matthias | 2662 | |
| 8 | 43 | GM | Jobava, Baadur | 2600 | 5½ | 5½ | GM | Van Foreest, Jorden | 2681 | |
| 9 | 2 | GM | Erigaisi, Arjun | 2782 | 5 | 5½ | GM | Anton Guijarro, David | 2639 |
(See all pairings right here.)
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The Grenke Freestyle Chess Open is a classical match within the Freestyle Chess (Chess960) format that determines one of many 12 contributors of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour occasion happening in New York. The occasion takes place alongside an everyday classical match, the Grenke Chess Open. The Freestyle Chess occasion is a nine-round Swiss with a time management of 90+30 for all the recreation, with a prize fund of €225,000 and the possibility to win Freestyle Grand Slam Tour factors.
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