Magnus Carlsen was left stunned after resigning against India’s R Praggnanandhaa during the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Las Vegas. The 19-year-old Grandmaster outplayed Carlsen in 39 moves, leading the commentator to state, “Magnus about to resign...and he does.”

Praggnanandhaa, who has secured three tournament victories this year, now holds a joint lead in Group White with 4.5 points, having defeated Carlsen across Classical, Rapid, and Blitz formats in 2025.

Earlier in the event, he drew with Nodirbek Abdusattorov, defeated Bibisara Assaubayeva, and won against Vincent Keymer before facing Carlsen.

Carlsen, who won the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam events in Paris and Karlsruhe, was eliminated from title contention in Las Vegas following the loss.

After initial wins, Carlsen experienced defeats against Praggnanandhaa and Wesley So, alongside two draws, which left him needing a final-round win to enter the playoffs.

Although he defeated Assaubayeva, Carlsen lost both playoff games against Levon Aronian, dropping him into the lower bracket.

The tournament at the Wynn Las Vegas featured two eight-player groups, with the top players advancing towards the USD 200,000 prize.

Hikaru Nakamura led the Black Group, while Hans Niemann, Fabiano Caruana, and Arjun Erigaisi also progressed.

The next stage will see quarterfinal matches, with players in the lower bracket, including Carlsen, competing for final placements.