India, Aug. 1 -- It was Magnus Carlsen's day as he booked a berth in the finals of the 2025 Esports World Cup chess tournament. The world No. 1 defeated Indian GM Nihal Sarin in the quarter-finals, and then went on to beat Hikaru Nakamura in the semi-finals. In the semis, Carlsen was a his brilliant best, as he edged past his American opponent in a thriller affair, that went to the Armageddon.

The showdown had its fair share of spice, drama and entertainment. The Norwegian won the first game, taking advantage of Nakamura's errors and took the lead. In the second game, Nakamura was once again making errors, but managed to escape with a draw by repetition. Then in Game 3, Nakamura defeated Carlsen, trapping his queen in a rare tactical mov...