Grandmaster Arjun Erigaisi beat Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov to reach the semifinals, but R Praggnanandhaa, who beat World No.1 Magnus Carlsen a day ago, bowed out of the title race after losing to USA’s Fabiano Caruana at the US $750,000 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour on Friday.

Arjun got the better of Abdusattorov 1.5-0.5, while Praggnanandhaa lost an intensely fought game 3-4 against Caruana. Americans Levon Aronian and Hans Moke Niemann were the other winners in the quarterfinal stage, who defeated compatriot Hikaru Nakamura and Javokhir Sindarov of Uzbekistan, respectively. While Aronian won by a 2.5-1.5 margin over four games, Niemann defeated Sindarov 4-2.

In the semifinals, Arjun will play against Aronian, while Niemann will take on Caruana.

In the lower bracket, Carlslen regained his winning touch and ousted Vidit Gujrathi 2-0. While American Wesley So won 1.5-0.5 against compatriot Samuel Sevian, Leinier Dominguez Perez registered an easy 1.5-0.5 victory over Bibisara Assaubayeva of Kazakhstan. Vincent Keymer of Germany, the winner of the first leg, defeated Robson Ray, also from America, 2.5-1.5.

Arjun was at his best in both games and enjoyed the advantage since the game began. Playing white in the second game, the Indian won a rook for a Bishop early, and soon it did not look like a Freestyle game as Arjun overpowered Abdusattorov. Earlier in the first game as well, Arjun enjoyed an advantage after the opening, but some unforced errors later in the game allowed the Uzbek to get half a point.

Praggnanandhaa and Caruana were engaged in as many as seven decisive games and the Indian was in lead on three occasions. Praggnanandhaa won the first, lost the second and this continued till the sixth game till Caruana pulled away before winning the decisive seventh game.

This is, however, not the end of the road for Praggnanandhaa as he now moves to the lower bracket with seven other players for another set of knockout games.

Quarterfinal results: Arjun Erigaisi (Ind) beat Nodirbek Abdusattorov (Uzb) 1.5-0.5; R Praggnanandhaa (Ind) lost to Fabiano Caruana (Usa) 3-4; Levon Aronian (Usa) beat Hikarru Nakamura (Usa) 2.5-1.5; Hans Moke Niemann (Usa) beat Javokhir Sindarov (Uzb) 4-2.

Lower bracket results: Lenier Dominguez Perez (Usa) beat Bibisara Assaubuyeva (Kaz) 1.5-0.5; Magnus Carlsen (Nor) beat Vidit Gujrathi (Ind) 2-0; Wesley So (Usa) beat Samuel Sevian (Usa) 1.5-0.5; Vincent Keymer (Ger) beat Robson Ray 2.5-1.5.