Carlsen Leads Grenke Chess Freestyle Open 2025 After Round 7

Magnus Carlsen continues his dominant performance at the 2025 Grenke Chess Freestyle Open, maintaining a perfect score after seven rounds and leading the tournament by a full point over his closest competitors. His victories have included smooth technical wins as well as tense games, such as a dramatic time scramble against GM Parham Maghsoodloo. While Carlsen holds the lead, several top grandmasters, including Andrey Esipenko and Rauf Mamedov, are still in contention. Earlier rounds were marked by significant upsets, with pre-tournament favorites like Ian Nepomniachtchi and Fabiano Caruana suffering unexpected defeats, though some have since recovered to remain in the chasing pack. Carlsen attributed his ongoing success to his ability to quickly recognize when Freestyle Chess positions transition into familiar territory, leveraging his deep chess understanding over his rivals. The tournament concludes with two final rounds, where Carlsen will aim to convert his lead into overall victory.