In the Superbet Rapid and Blitz Tournament, a significant event within the Grand Chess Tour, Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa displayed exceptional skill, securing a commendable fourth place. Meanwhile, the legendary Magnus Carlsen delivered an awe-inspiring performance on the final day, claiming the top spot with an impressive 8/9 score.
Wei Yi of China led with a substantial 2.5 points advantage going into the last day, but faltered with a below-par performance, ultimately settling for second place after garnering only 5 points in the final nine games.
Carlsen's victory was hard-fought, narrowly surpassing Yi in the tournament's closing stages. Despite visible signs of fatigue from back-to-back games, both online and offline, Carlsen showcased his unparalleled prowess in crucial moments, securing seven wins and two draws to clinch the top spot with 26 points, edging past Wei Yi by a mere half point.
Duda Jan-Kryzstof from Poland salvaged his position in the tournament with a third-place finish, accumulating 19.5 points, closely followed by Praggnanandhaa, who trailed by just half a point.
Erigaisi Arjun claimed the fifth spot with 18 points, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov secured sixth place with 17.5 points. Kirill Shevchenkov's promising start with three consecutive wins on the opening day fizzled out, leading to a sixth-place finish with 17 points. Anish Giri, overcoming earlier setbacks, concluded the tournament in eighth place with 14 points.
Vincent Keymer of Germany secured ninth place with 13.5 points, outperforming world championship challenger D Gukesh, who faced considerable challenges throughout the event, finishing with 12.5 points.
In the final standings for the rapid section, Magnus Carlsen emerged victorious with 26 points, closely followed by Wei Yi with 25.5 points. Duda secured third place with 19.5 points, while Praggnanandhaa and Arjun claimed the fourth and fifth spots with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Abdusattorov, Shevchenko, Giri, Keymer, and Gukesh rounded off the standings with their respective scores.
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