VIDEO SHOWS: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE FINAL OF THE FREESTYLE CHESS GRAND SLAM FINAL WITH LEVON ARONIAN BEATING MAGNUS CARLSEN RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT SHOWS: GANSBAAI, SOUTH AFRICA (DECEMBER 11, 2025) (FREESTYLE CHESS – For editorial use only, must courtesy: "Freestyle Chess", no resales, no commercial use, no monetisation) MAGNUS CARLSEN V LEVON ARONIAN 1. CARLSEN BEFORE START OF FINAL GAME ONE / ARONIAN WHITE, CARLSEN BLACK 2. PLAYERS MAKING SERIES OF MOVES 3. TIMER AND BOARD AS PLAYERS MAKE MOVES 4. CARLSEN 5. ARONIAN 6. CARLSEN’S HAND 7. VARIOUS OF PLAYERS MAKING SERIES OF MOVES / CARLSEN RETIRING FROM FIRST GAME / PLAYERS GETTING UP GAME TWO / CARLSEN WHITE, ARONIAN BLACK 8. ARONIAN WALKING IN AND SHAKING HANDS WITH CARLSEN 9. ARONIAN 10. CARLSEN 11. CARLSEN MAKING A MOVE 12. ARONIAN / CARLSEN MAKING A MOVE 13. BOARD AS PLAYERS MAKE A SERIES OF MOVES 14. CARLSEN LOOKING PENSIVE 15. ARONIAN LOOKING PENSIVE 16. PLAYERS MAKING A SERIES OF MOVES / PLAYERS SHAKING HANDS AT STALEMATE – ARONIAN WINS 1.5 – 0.5 17. ARONIAN AFTER WINNING 18. VARIOUS OF TROPHY PRESENTATION STORY: Defending champion Levon Aronian won his second consecutive Freestyle Chess Grand Slam South Africa title on Thursday (December 11). The 43-year-old American snagged the $200,000 prize pot after defeating world number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway 1.5 – 0.5. Aronian won the first match and managed to hold on for a draw in the second, securing the win and the top prize after going four days without a loss. Carlsen, who had previously secured the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour overall title on Tuesday (December 9), placed second in South Africa. Elsewhere in the event, Vincent Keymer finished third, defeating Javokhir Sindarov 2-0, and there were also wins in the placement matches for Fabiano Caruana (5th), and Hans Niemann (7th). The event brings the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam season to a close. (Production: Kurt Michael Hall)
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