Erigaisi was edged out by Team Falcons\u2019 Hikaru Nakamura in an armageddon tiebreaker, while defending champion Magnus Carlsen of Team Liquid defeated Sarin 2.5-0.5.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Erigaisi\u2019s quarterfinal against Nakamura was a repeat of last year\u2019s third-place match, which the American Grandmaster had won. The two players were closely matched throughout the regulation games, with all four ending in draws as neither could establish an advantage. The deadlock sent the match to Armageddon, where Hikaru, playing with the White pieces, sealed the victory with a checkmate to secure his place in the semifinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The other Indian in the quarterfinals, Sarin, faced Carlsen in a rematch of last year\u2019s knockout encounter, which the Norwegian Grandmaster had won. On that occasion, the opening game ended in a draw before Carlsen claimed the next two. This time, the Norwegian won the first two games, while the third ended in a draw to secure a 2.5-0.5 victory and a place in the semifinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The remaining quarterfinals saw AG.AL\u2019s Denis Lazavik defeated Natus Vincere\u2019s Nodirbek Abdusattorov in an Armageddon tiebreaker, while Team Falcons\u2019 Alireza Firouzja overcame GodLike Esports\u2019 Hans Moke Niemann 2.5-1.5. Hikaru will now face Lazavik in the semifinals, while Carlsen will take on Alireza in a rematch of last year\u2019s final.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The other Indian in the quarterfinals, Sarin, faced Carlsen in a rematch of last year\u2019s knockout encounter, which the Norwegian Grandmaster had won. On that occasion, the opening game ended in a draw before Carlsen claimed the next two. This time, the Norwegian won the first two games, while the third ended in a draw to secure a 2.5-0.5 victory and a place in the semifinals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The playoffs continue with a single-elimination format, with the semifinals consisting of six games. The grand final will be contested over a best-of-three sets format, with the first two sets featuring four games each and a potential third set consisting of two games.<\/p>\r\n\r\n