Levon Aronian beats Magnus Carlsen, stays unbeaten to clinch Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour Final title; Arjun Erigaisi finishes sixth | Chess News
Levon Aronian emerged victorious at the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam event in South Africa, defeating Magnus Carlsen of Norway with a score of 1.5-0.5 in the Grand Final.In the final event of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour this year, Aronian secured the win in the first game and sealed the title with a draw in the second, earning the $200,000 prize money while maintaining an undefeated streak throughout the four-day tournament.
Magnus Carlsen, who had previously secured the overall Grand Slam Tour title, finished as runner-up in the event.In the battle for third place, Vincent Keymer defeated Javokhir Sindarov 2-0. Keymer’s tactical brilliance in the first game and strong conversion in the second earned him the third position.Fabiano Caruana claimed fifth place by defeating India’s Arjun Erigaisi 1.5-0.5, while Hans Niemann secured seventh place after overcoming Parham Maghsoodloo in the tiebreaks.Magnus Carlsen, the World No. 1 and five-time World Champion, had earlier clinched the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour championship by reaching the semifinals in Grootbos, Cape Town.The tour victory earned Carlsen a USD 100,000 bonus prize.
