Carlsen falters! Neimann's hilarious reaction goes viral - Watch

The opening time of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour successful Las Vegas delivered shockwaves to the chess world: Magnus Carlsen, the reigning king of freestyle chess and wide circuit leader, suffered a stunning elimination astatine the radical stage. But what stole the spotlight wasn’t conscionable the result; it was Hans Niemann’s unfiltered, hilarious reaction, which has present gone viral.Watch:

The play unfolded during the radical stage, wherever 16 players battled done 7 rounds of 10+10 enactment divided into 2 groups. Carlsen, who entered the lawsuit riding precocious aft back-to-back wins and a legendary 9/9 show successful Karlsruhe, could lone muster 3 wins portion dropping 2 important games. That near him tied with Levon Aronian for 4th spot successful Group White, forcing a playoff for the past qualification spot.The playoff was brutal for Carlsen fans: Aronian dominated, winning some 5+2 games, the 2nd successful a chaotic clip scramble, sending the Norwegian superstar location early.Meanwhile, Niemann, who qualified done online play-ins connected his day conscionable weeks ago, turned heads with his performance. After racing to 4.5/5, helium finished the time astatine 4.5 points contempt losses to Caruana and Nakamura.

His beardown form, combined with assured play and originative openings, impressed commentators and fans alike. “I truly immersed myself into Freestyle,” Niemann said connected stream. “Six hours of grooming games a day.”But the infinitesimal everyone’s talking astir came aft Aronian’s archetypal playoff win. Niemann, successful the studio, burst retired laughing and cheered loudly for Levon, exclaiming, “There are precise fewer pleasures successful beingness that comparison to this feeling!” His earthy honesty acceptable societal media ablaze wrong minutes, adding different furniture to the Carlsen-Niemann rivalry narrative.With Praggnanandhaa, Abdusattorov, and Sindarov advancing up of Carlsen from their respective group, the Las Vegas limb is already shaping up arsenic the astir unpredictable lawsuit of the year.