 "Arjun Erigaisi (left) and Magnus Carlsen (right). Image: Chessbase/Reuters")
World No. 1 grandmaster Magnus Carlsen has secured his place in the Grand Final of the 2025 Chessable Masters after a dominant performance. The Norwegian legend overcame Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi with Black in armageddon as he drew the semifinal match and was declared the winner. He then defeated GM Hikaru Nakamura 2.5-0.5 with a game to spare in the Winners Final to reach the Grand Final.
Meanwhile, both Erigaisi and Nakamura will get another shot at the title through the Losers Bracket. While the Indian grandmaster will play Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the Losers Quarterfinals, Nakamura has directly reached the Losers Final and will wait for any of the four quarterfinalists for a shot.
Carlsen’s road to the final
Carlsen, the reigning Champions Chess Tour winner, continued his remarkable streak in elite online chess. Against Erigaisi, he initially seemed in control, winning a knight endgame in the first encounter and drawing the second. The third game was another near-win for Carlsen, but Arjun found a miraculous defense despite being down an exchange and a pawn.
Carlsen later reflected on this, stating: “It’s funny that rook against bishop is generally considered quite easy to win [with three pawns on the same side of the board], but he chose the most resilient setup and it wasn’t that easy.” However, in game four, Arjun turned the tables, securing a clutch win on demand to force armageddon.
In the deciding armageddon game, Carlsen held a draw with Black, securing his ticket to the Grand Final. The world No. 1 then dismantled Nakamura in the Winners Final with a commanding 2.5-0.5 score, showing why he remains the player to beat in any event.
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With Carlsen in the Grand Final, the battle in the Losers Bracket intensifies. GMs Fabiano Caruana, Vladislav Artemiev, Wei Yi, Anish Giri, Andrey Esipenko, and Yu Yangyi have all been eliminated. The second Losers Quarterfinals will feature Alireza Firouzja and Jan-Krzysztof Duda.
Day three of the 2025 Chessable Masters Playoffs, which includes the Losers Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final, is scheduled for Thursday, 20 February 20, starting at 9:30 p.m. IST. The tournament will conclude on Friday with the Grand Final between the last two players standing.