Pragg chooses the Nimzo-Larsen, setting the stage for an unbalanced and dynamic game. He needs to make something happen!
Aronian advances his pawn, preparing to fianchetto his bishop.
Pragg trades his bishop for Aronian’s knight, creating a structural weakness in Aronian’s pawn setup.
Aronian commits his king to the kingside with short castling.
Pragg pushes a central pawn, but with his king still in the center, it’s a risky decision. Aronian may exploit the open lines quickly.
Instead of castling, Pragg moves his king manually, taking risks in a must-win situation. He’s opting for imbalance over safety.
Aronian makes a mistake, losing the advantage he had built. The evaluation bar is now even, Pragg is back in the fight!
Pragg makes a losing blunder, handing Aronian a golden chance. One precise move from Aronian could win material, the game, and the match!
Aronian spots the tactic and pushes his pawn, attacking Pragg’s pinned bishop.
Levon Aronian 🇺🇸 wins again and secures third place at the Grand Chess Tour 2025!
With this decisive victory in the first blitz game, Aronian not only takes the game but also wraps up the match, completing a fantastic tournament. Today was all about him - a clean sweep across classical, rapid, and blitz, and a performance that guarantees him a spot in the next Grand Chess Tour.
For Pragg, it’s a heartbreaking finish after a challenging rapid section and now the blitz loss, but the young star will surely bounce back in upcoming tournaments.
A great day, a great finish, and a fitting reward for Aronian’s precision, composure, and dominance throughout the event!
Welcome to the final segment of the Grand Chess Tour 2025! After two classical draws and a rapid section dominated by Levon Aronian, it’s now time for the fast paced blitz showdown: four games ahead, each with 5 min + 2 sec increment, and the score heavily favoring Aronian.
With the scoring system (Classical 6/3/0, Rapid 4/2/0, Blitz 2/1/0), Pragg faces a nearly impossible task: he needs to win all four blitz games just to level the match and force playoffs. Aronian, sitting comfortably with a big lead, is looking to close out the match smoothly. Will he do it, or can Pragg pull off a miraculous comeback under pressure? The first blitz game is about to begin, stay tuned for live action!