Carlsen, Abdusattorov Lead Paris Chess Grand Slam

The 2025 Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam is underway, featuring top grandmasters like Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, and Vincent Keymer. The semifinals started quietly as Carlsen and Caruana drew, as did Nakamura and Keymer. Notably, Hans Niemann, previously involved in a cheating scandal, withdrew from the tournament, citing personal reasons, and Nodirbek Abdusattorov, a last-minute replacement for Niemann, performed strongly and is among the leaders alongside Carlsen. The tournament employs advanced cheat detection and involves a round-robin rapid phase followed by knockout rounds, with players competing for a substantial prize fund. Indian players, including Arjun Erigaisi, are striving to improve their standings to advance in the competition.