India, Feb. 20 -- Magnus Carlsen demonstrated his experience and composure as he narrowly defeated Arjun Erigaisi to secure a place in the Grand Final of the 2025 Chessable Masters. Competing with the black pieces in the Armageddon tiebreaker, Carlsen managed to draw against India’s No. 2 player before achieving a decisive 2.5-0.5 victory over Hikaru Nakamura, with one game remaining.

Arjun still has an opportunity to reach the Grand Final through the Losers Bracket. Other notable players eliminated in this bracket include Fabiano Caruana, Vladislav Artemiev, Wei Yi, Anish Giri, Andrey Esipenko, and Yu Yangyi. Apart from Nakamura, who advanced directly to the Loser Final, Arjun is set to face Ian Nepomniachtchi, while Alireza Firouzja will compete against Jan-Krzysztof Duda in the Losers Quarterfinals.

In their initial game, Carlsen excelled in a knight endgame, holding an extra pawn. This was followed by two consecutive draws. The third game was tightly contested, with Carlsen nearly securing a win, but Arjun managed to mount a comeback. Reflecting on the match, Carlsen noted, "It's amusing that rook versus bishop is typically seen as a straightforward win [with three pawns on the same side], yet he opted for the most resilient configuration, making it quite challenging."

In the fourth game, Arjun displayed his exceptional skill with a remarkable victory from an equal endgame, forcing an Armageddon tiebreaker. The World No. 1 maintained his composure and managed to draw the game. Under Armageddon rules, the player with the black pieces receives less time on the clock, but a draw results in a victory for the black player, which was not the case for Erigaisi, who played with the white pieces.

After the match, Carlsen, who recently secured third place at the Weissenhaus Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, commented, "It turned into a complete mess, and I was very fortunate to emerge with a win."

On the other hand, Erigaisi's performance is likely to significantly enhance his confidence, building on his recent success at Wijk aan Zee, where he achieved victories against Nodirbek Abdusattorov and D Gukesh in the final two rounds.

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