Grenke Freestyle Open R6-7: Carlsen runs through competition

by Shahid Ahmed - 21/04/2025

Time and time again, GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) has showed why he is at a different level. After the seventh round of Grenke Freestyle Open, Carlsen is leading with a perfect score 7/7. He defeated GM Awonder Liang (USA) and GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) to maintain a perfect score. The game against the Iranian was a sharp battle which got resolved in time. In the previous round, GM Leon Luke Mendonca suffered his first loss against him. GM Pranesh M defeated GM Grigoriy Oparin (USA) in Round 6. GM Aryan Chopra drew with GM Vincent Keymer (GER) in Round 6. Leon, Pranesh, Aryan and GM Karthikeyan Murali are at 5/7 each. Round 8 starts today at 10 a.m. local time, 1:30 p.m. IST. Photos: Aditya Sur Roy

Carlsen increases his sole lead by a full point, Rauf and Esipenko are at 6/7 each

Round 6

The starting position for the sixth round was position number 380.

The starting position for Round 6 was number 380

Liang - Carlsen: 0-1

GM Magnus Carlsen (NOR) scored a double hat-trick with a win over GM Awonder Liang (USA)

Leon - Parham: 0-1

GM Leon Luke Mendonca got into trouble against GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI). He somehow managed to wiggle out of it. However, in the end he still had to keep the game going but he missed it and paid a heavy price for it.

Position after 34...Rb2

35.Nxh2 Rxb3 keeps White in the fight. 35.Rf3?? Rhc2+ 36.Kc1 Ne2+ 37.Rxe2 Rxe2 and Black won.

GM Leon Luke Mendonca suffered his first loss of the event against GM Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI)

GM Aryan Chopra en route his draw against GM Vincent Keymer (GER) as the World no.1, Magnus Carlsen observes the game

Pranesh - Oparin: 1-0

GM Pranesh M outplayed GM Grigoriy Oparin (USA).

Round 7

The starting position for the seventh round was position number 76

The starting position for Round 7 was number 76

Carlsen - Parham: 1-0

Magnus Carlsen won an extremely sharp battle against Parham Maghsoodloo.

Final moments and aftermath - Magnus Carlsen - Parham Maghsoodloo | Video: ChessBase India

Magnus Carlsen - Parham Maghsoodloo | Video: Grenke Chess

Parham Maghsoodloo (IRI) lost on time against Magnus Carlsen (NOR)

GM Leon Luke Mendonca drew with GM Wesley So (USA)

GM Arjun Erigaisi won the All-Indian clash against GM Harshit Raja

For more Round 6 and 7 photos, please click at the respective links.

Replay live stream

Replay Round 6 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Replay Round 7 live commentary by IM Sagar Shah and Amruta Mokal | Video: ChessBase India

Video Gallery

Round 6 starting moments | Video: ChessBase India

Interview with IA Claudia Muenstermann | Video: ChessBase India

Magnus Carlsen and Parham Maghsoodloo analyze their game | Video: Grenke Chess

Carlsen analyzes his razor sharp game against Parham | Video: Grenke Chess

Day 4 impressions | Video: Grenke Chess

Replay Round 6-7 Open A games

Round 7 results

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	1	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	2837	6	1 - 0	5½	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2684	20
2	3	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	2776	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Jobava, Baadur	2600	43
3	17	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2696	5	1 - 0	5	GM	Pranesh M,	2572	50
4	26	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	2662	5	½ - ½	5	GM	Sarana, Alexey	2672	23
5	44	GM	Movsesian, Sergei	2591	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Keymer, Vincent	2718	14
6	52	GM	Pultinevicius, Paulius	2558	5	0 - 1	5	GM	Mamedov, Rauf	2657	29
7	31	GM	Dardha, Daniel	2650	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	2757	4
8	7	GM	So, Wesley	2748	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	2643	32
9	9	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	2738	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Yoo, Christopher Woojin	2588	45
10	34	GM	Anton Guijarro, David	2639	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Niemann, Hans Moke	2736	10
11	12	GM	Rapport, Richard	2722	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Svane, Rasmus	2625	36
12	13	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	2722	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Erdogmus, Yagiz Kaan	2618	39
13	15	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2714	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Kamsky, Gata	2603	41
14	38	GM	Aryan Chopra,	2620	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2706	16
15	46	GM	Fridman, Daniel	2582	4½	½ - ½	4½	GM	Liang, Awonder	2692	18
16	22	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2681	4½	1 - 0	4½	GM	Sonis, Francesco	2576	49
17	24	GM	Svane, Frederik	2668	4½	1 - 0	4½		Boev, Viktor	2235	142
18	51	GM	Smeets, Jan	2568	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Navara, David	2665	25
19	114	IM	Song, Julien	2309	3	½ - ½	3		Szakmary, Domonkos	2154	175
20	79	IM	Gschnitzer, Adrian	2430	4½	0 - 1	4½	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2661	27

Details

Standings after Round 7

Rk.	SNo		Name	FED	Rtg	RtgI	RtgN	Club/City	Pts.	TB1
1	1	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	NOR	2837	2837	2839	FC ST.Pauli 1910 eV SAbt	7	30,5
2	29	GM	Mamedov, Rauf	AZE	2657	2657	0		6	31
3	17	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	FID	2696	2696	2730	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	6	29,5
4	43	GM	Jobava, Baadur	GEO	2600	2600	0		5,5	33,5
5	16	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	UZB	2706	2706	2694	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	5,5	32
	26	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	GER	2662	2662	2666	SF Deizisau	5,5	32
7	24	GM	Svane, Frederik	GER	2668	2668	2692	Hamburger SK von 1830 eV	5,5	31,5
8	27	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	IRI	2661	2661	2668	FC Bayern München e.V.	5,5	30,5
9	9	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	USA	2738	2738	2727	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	5,5	30
	14	GM	Keymer, Vincent	GER	2718	2718	2717	OSG Baden-Baden	5,5	30
	23	GM	Sarana, Alexey	SRB	2672	2672	2627	SC Viernheim 1934 e.V.	5,5	30
	25	GM	Navara, David	CZE	2665	2665	2672	SV Mülheim-Nord 1931 e	5,5	30
13	3	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	USA	2776	2776	2743	OSG Baden-Baden	5,5	29,5
	20	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	IRI	2684	2684	2673	SC Viernheim 1934 e.V.	5,5	29,5
	22	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	NED	2681	2681	2669	Düsseldorfer SK 14/25 e.	5,5	29,5
16	34	GM	Anton Guijarro, David	ESP	2639	2639	2657	SC Viernheim 1934 e.V.	5,5	28
17	13	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	FRA	2722	2722	2713	OSG Baden-Baden	5,5	27
18	18	GM	Liang, Awonder	USA	2692	2692	0		5	37
	52	GM	Pultinevicius, Paulius	LTU	2558	2558	2581	Marijampoles sporto centras	5	37
20	32	GM	Mendonca, Leon Luke	IND	2643	2643	2646	Hamburger SK von 1830 eV	5	33

Details

Round 8 pairings

Bo.	No.		White	Rtg	Pts.	Result	Pts.		Black	Rtg	No.
1	29	GM	Mamedov, Rauf	2657	6		7	GM	Carlsen, Magnus	2837	1
2	14	GM	Keymer, Vincent	2718	5½		6	GM	Esipenko, Andrey	2696	17
3	23	GM	Sarana, Alexey	2672	5½		5½	GM	Caruana, Fabiano	2776	3
4	25	GM	Navara, David	2665	5½		5½	GM	Dominguez Perez, Leinier	2738	9
5	27	GM	Tabatabaei, M. Amin	2661	5½		5½	GM	Vachier-Lagrave, Maxime	2722	13
6	16	GM	Sindarov, Javokhir	2706	5½		5½	GM	Svane, Frederik	2668	24
7	20	GM	Maghsoodloo, Parham	2684	5½		5½	GM	Bluebaum, Matthias	2662	26
8	43	GM	Jobava, Baadur	2600	5½		5½	GM	Van Foreest, Jorden	2681	22
9	2	GM	Erigaisi Arjun,	2782	5		5½	GM	Anton Guijarro, David	2639	34
10	4	GM	Nepomniachtchi, Ian	2757	5		5	GM	Svane, Rasmus	2625	36
11	41	GM	Kamsky, Gata	2603	5		5	GM	So, Wesley	2748	7
12	42	GM	Huschenbeth, Niclas	2601	5		5	GM	Le, Quang Liem	2729	11
13	46	GM	Fridman, Daniel	2582	5		5	GM	Rapport, Richard	2722	12
14	48	GM	Piorun, Kacper	2577	5		5	GM	Yu, Yangyi	2714	15
15	50	GM	Pranesh M,	2572	5		5	GM	Liang, Awonder	2692	18
16	19	GM	Robson, Ray	2692	5		5	GM	Pultinevicius, Paulius	2558	52
17	21	GM	Grischuk, Alexander	2682	5		5	GM	Kadric, Denis	2533	57
18	54	GM	Grigoriants, Sergey	2552	5		5	GM	Oparin, Grigoriy	2660	28
19	191		Schinkowski, Christoph	2130	3½		3½	IM	Song, Julien	2309	114
20	60	GM	Mikhalevski, Victor	2513	5		5	GM	Karthikeyan, Murali	2651	30