Freestyle Chess: Arjun Erigaisi loses in semi-finals at Las Vegas
Arjun Erigaisi fell to a 0-2 loss at the hands of Levon Aronian.
Arjun Erigaisi (Photo credit: Steve Bonhage/Freestyle Chess)
India's Arjun Erigaisi suffered a loss at the hands of Levon Aronian in the semi-finals of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas on Friday.
The 21-year-old Erigaisi, who became the first Indian to reach the semi-finals of a freestyle chess event, had his dream run halted with a 0-2 loss to the Armenian-turned-American grandmaster.
In the semi-finals, Erigaisi had a comfortable position in the first game but failed to convert his chances as Aronian defended with the best of his abilities.
The Indian eventually crumbled under pressure as the more experienced Aronian turned the tides to register a surprise win from an inferior position to stun his opponent.
The second game saw Aronian ride the momentum. The Armenian was never really under any pressure as he eked out a slight advantage out of the opening play.
Erigaisi, in a must-win situation, tried to force things and eventually paid the price for his risky play.
Meanwhile, the other Indian in contention – R Praggnanandhaa – registered a 1.5-0.5 victory over Germany's Vincent Keymer in the 3rd to 8th place play-off match.
Praggnanandhaa held for a draw with the black pieces in the first game before registering a win with white in the second to take down Keymer.
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