Magnus Carlsen, the world No 1, was an early front runner in the $375,000 second leg of the Freestyle Grand Slam in Paris. The 34 year-old tied for first with Russia’s Ian Nepomniachtchi in the 12-player round robin which decided Thursday’s quarter-finalists, and which proved a disaster for India.
Three of their four contenders were eliminated, headed by the 18-year-old world champion, Gukesh Dommaraju, who also failed in the first Grand Slam leg in Germany.
