Latest news with #FreestyleChess
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Delhi leg of Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour could be cancelled because of lack of interest from sponsors
The fourth leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour, scheduled to be held in Delhi from September 17 to 24, could be moved to another venue outside India because of lack of interest from local sponsors, The Indian Express has learnt. 'We've always communicated that we'll only go to foreign countries or other cities where local sponsors are willing to contribute significantly. India would have been a great place because there are so many great players and we love all the players. But I am wondering why despite a lot of rich people in India and a lot of interest in chess, nobody has come forward yet,' Jan Henric Buettner, the man behind the Freestyle Chess tour, said on Friday. 'In Las Vegas, we're getting around $2 million from sponsors. But in India, despite my efforts to generate interest, no one has come forward to support the event. Without financial backing from India, there's no reason for us to go,' Buettner, a German entrepreneur, told The Indian Express. The relationship between the Freestyle Tour organisers and FIDE, the global chess body, is strained. FIDE had objected to the unauthorised use of official titles like 'World Champion' in the Freestyle Tour. FIDE also has a strong relationship with the All India Chess Federation (AICF) as former five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand is the world body's vice president. After the first two legs in Weissenhaus and Paris legs, the tour will move to its third leg in Las Vegas from July 16 to 20. It will be preceded by a three-day 'Chesstival' starting July 13, featuring a knockout-style celebrity chess tournament with current and former NBA stars. The Freestyle Tour in the U.S., set to take place at the Wynn Las Vegas, will also allow fans to watch the event live at the venue for the first time. The Freestyle Tour recently raised $20 million from investors, including former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, who will participate in the Las Vegas Chess Festival. Buettner explained the costs and partnerships expected from host cities. 'One Freestyle Grand Slam event costs about $4 million. Right now, we're covering 50% through sponsorships in the U.S., but from the next event, we'll aim for 60-65%,' he said. Buettner is still hopeful of generating sponsorship money from India. 'If a sponsor in India is willing to contribute $2.5 million… either in cash or kind… we'll cover the remaining $1.5 million. We'd also let the Indian sponsor handle regional marketing and keep all local revenue. We would not take any part of the revenue from the regional revenue in India,' he added. Buettner said that there is 'interest' from other countries willing to host the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour 'I've just stated facts… not disappointed at all. I'm very happy to go to India but first, I need somebody from India to raise their hand and say here we are, we do it together. We have a lot of other interests from the Middle East, from China, and from other countries and cities where we would expand next time like Australia, for example,' said Buettner. As earlier reported by this newspaper, the U.S. leg will feature 45-minute games with a 10-second increment per move, instead of the previous 90-minute games with a 30-second increment. The shorter format aims to condense the event from eight days to five, with both legs of a round played on the same day. Players will now compete in two 45-minute games with reversed colours in a single day, rather than spreading them over two days. The Paris leg featured four Indians — D. Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R. Praggnanandhaa, and Vidit Gujrathi — among the 10 players. Germany's Vincent Keymer won the Weissenhaus leg, while Magnus Carlsen dominated Paris to claim the second event and lead the tour after the first two legs.
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
Freestyle Chess' Grand Slam Tour Will Make its U.S. Debut at Wynn Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Freestyle Chess, the innovative chess league co-founded by Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner that prioritizes creativity over memorization, will bring their Grand Slam Tour to the United States for the first time this July. The event, hosted at Wynn Las Vegas, will kick off with 'Chesstival' on July 13, featuring current and former NBA players in a knockout-style chess tournament. Thanks to a partnership with $50,000 in total prize money will be donated to the charity of the winners' choice. The Grand Slam Tournament will follow from July 16 through July 20. 'Wynn Las Vegas offers an unparalleled stage to introduce Freestyle's high-energy, immersive format to the U.S. – not just as a game of strategy, but as a world-class spectator experience,' said Jan Henric Buettner, CEO and co-founder of Freestyle Chess. For the first time, chess fans can experience Freestyle Chess live, as the 2025 Grand Slam Tournament opens ticket sales to the public. Hosted in Wynn's 50,000-square-foot Lafite Ballroom, the event will bring the tour's dynamic energy to life with immersive production, live commentary, and storytelling. Fans can choose from three ticket tiers: general admission, VIP, and private booths with player meet-and-greets – designed to offer a world-class experience. Tickets start at $90 and are available for purchase here. 'I really believe Chesstival is one of the biggest paradigm shifts, along with Freestyle Chess, that the chess world has ever seen, and I think they're going to help grow the game,' said former NBA MVP and investor in Freestyle Chess, Derrick Rose. The event follows Freestyle Chess raising $20 million in funding from venture capital firms such as Left Lane Capital, as well as athletes like Derrick Rose to support the expansion of its operations and global footprint. The league features top-ranked players such as five-time World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, reigning World Chess Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, and former World Rapid Champion Hikaru Nakamura. Each Grand Slam Tournament event offers $750,000 in prize money, setting a new benchmark for chess as a global sport. The championship at the end of the tour will crown the first Freestyle Chess Champion, marking a historic milestone in the evolution of the game. Following the rules of Chess960 (Fischer Random), which randomizes starting positions, Freestyle Chess emphasizes creativity and strategy, leveling the playing field for even the world's best players. For more information, please visit the Freestyle Chess website here. About Freestyle Chess Freestyle Chess was founded in 2024 by Magnus Carlsen and Jan Henric Buettner, to revolutionize the game of chess. Capitalizing on the boom of interest in the sport, Freestyle Chess incorporates a unique style of gameplay featuring Fischer Random and follows the players' heart rates throughout the matches. Working to democratize the sport, matches are available for free online, and players participate in press conferences and post-match interviews, keeping the company's events exciting for all audiences. This year, Freestyle Chess kicked off its Grand Slam tournaments in Germany, France with upcoming stops in the United States and South Africa.
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First Post
25-05-2025
- Sport
- First Post
D Gukesh insists he has nothing left to prove after stellar 2024 run, says he's focusing on ‘improving and going beyond'
D Gukesh has been going through a lean patch in recent months, especially in Freestyle Chess, and faces what arguably is the biggest match of his career at the upcoming Norway Chess event – where he will face world No 1 Magnus Carlsen for the first time since being crowned world champion. read more D Gukesh will be hoping for a resurgence in form at the Norway Chess after going through a slump in recent months. Image credit: Norway Chess Reigning world champion Gukesh Dommaraju insists he doesn't have anything left to prove after his stellar run in 2024, and he is only focused on improving his form in the upcoming Norway Chess after going through a struggle in recent months. Gukesh had an unbelievable run last year, becoming the youngest player to win the Chess World Championship as well as the Candidates Tournament and had also starred in India's historic golden sweep at the Chess Olympiad. He would then begin 2025 with a runner-up finish at the Tata Steel Chess after losing to compatriot R Praggnanandhaa in tie-breaks. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The 18-year-old Grandmaster's confidence, however, appears to have taken a hit after his poor returns in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour – in which he failed to win a single game in the opening leg in Weissenhaus before sharing the bottom spot with fellow Indian Vidit Gujrathi in the second event in Paris. His poor run in the unpredictable Freestyle Chess format appears to have affected his Classical game with Gukesh winning just one game to finish with 4 points out of a possible 10 in the Superbet Classic in Bucharest, Romania earlier this month. 'Last year (2024) in classical chess, I played tournaments where I kind of proved whatever needed to be proved. And right now the focus is not about proving it. The world championship is not where I want to stop, I want to go beyond that. So it's not about proving, but improving myself and going beyond where I am,' Gukesh told Norway Chess in an interview on Saturday. In yesterday's interview, Gukesh shared that life has definitely changed after becoming World Champion 👑 'In India, especially in Chennai, when I go out I get recognised more than before' he said. A quiet reminder of how far he's come, and just how much his journey is… — Norway Chess (@NorwayChess) May 25, 2025 Gukesh will have no time to think about the past, including his recent struggles, for he faces the biggest match of his career so far – against world No Magnus Carlsen for the first time since being crowned world champion six months ago. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gukesh looks forward to 'fun challenge' against Carlsen Gukesh is yet to defeat Carlsen in the Classical format, in which the latter had reigned as world champion for a decade before voluntarily deciding against defending his title in 2023. 'It will be a very interesting game and a fun challenge. In 2024 we didn't face off in classical at all. For the spectators, it's great to see the world champion face the number one player in the world. It's something that sounds exciting. It's surely something I'm very happy to give myself and to chess fans. I hope it will be a treat,' Gukesh added. Also Read | Carlsen on whether Gukesh is a worthy world chess champion or not: 'He's done incredibly well…' Norway Chess takes place in Stavanger from 26 May to 6 June, with a couple of rest days scheduled in between. Besides Gukesh and Carlsen, the tournament will feature other members of the current top five – Hikaru Nakamura (world No 2), Arjun Erigaisi (No 4) and Fabiano Caruana (No 5). Also participating in the event is world No 8 Wei Yi.
Indian Express
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Gukesh speaks: Proved whatever needed to be proved in 2024… focus now is on improving, not proving myself
Becoming the youngest world champion in chess history almost put a target on 18-year-old Gukesh's back. While opponents have been hungry to defeat him, the world started to track his results, every draw and each defeat being used to weigh — rather unfairly — his worth as a world champion. Right after becoming the world champion in Singapore, the teenager from Chennai almost won the Tata Steel Chess tournament in Wijk aan Zee, before being thwarted by Arjun Erigaisi and Praggnanandhaa in the end. Since then, Gukesh has experienced an uncharacteristic slump: he went through the Weissenhaus leg of the Freestyle Chess tournament without a win, before experiencing more woe in the Paris leg of the Freestyle event. And then, his results in freestyle started to poison his form in classical chess as well: at the recent Superbet Classic Romania event, Gukesh won just a single game out of nine (against Levon Aronian) while losing to Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, and Alireza Firouzja and drawing with the six remaining opponents. Gukesh will experience another stern test in classical chess from Monday as he competes at Norway Chess, which will have a stacked field comprising of world no 1 Magnus Carlsen, world no 2 Hikaru Nakamura, no 4 Arjun Erigaisi, no 5 Fabiano Caruana and world no 8 Wei Yi. After his recent results, does he feel like Norway Chess is the platform for him to prove a point to his detractors? 'Last year (2024) in classical chess, I played tournaments where I kind of proved whatever needed to be proved. And right now the focus is not about proving it. The world championship is not where I want to stop, I want to go beyond that. So it's not about proving, but improving myself and going beyond where I am,' Gukesh told Norway Chess in an interview on Saturday evening before the start of the event in Stavanger. The Norway Chess event sees Gukesh face off against former world champion Magnus Carlsen for the first since the Indian's coronation on the throne previously occupied by the Norwegian for 10 years between 2013 and 2023. Gukesh has never beaten Carlsen in classical chess, with the Norwegian defeating Gukesh at the FIDE World Cup in 2023. 'It will be a very interesting game and a fun challenge. In 2024 we didn't face off in classical at all. For the spectators, it's great to see the world champion face the number one player in the world. It's something that sounds exciting. It's surely something I'm very happy to give myself and to chess fans. I hope it will be a treat,' Gukesh said. Gukesh admitted that the expectations from the world of him have been at 'another level' since he became world champion. But he said those expectations did not perturb him. 'The extra expectations or the pressure came in with the world championship title. But expectations have always been there since a very young age, around 12 when I became a grandmaster. This is a new level. But I see it as a challenge to prove to myself that I can handle this. Even though the expectations are high, I can meet them if I keep working hard and doing my best.' When Gukesh was asked what was the 'hardest adjustment' to make from being just a chess prodigy to now being an elite player, he replied: 'The toughest challenge is that you cannot have weak movements. In the lower level, if you have a bit of an inconsistency when you play the opposition is not that strong. But now if you have weak movements in the tournaments that I'm playing these days, you get punished literally every time. So it's about being consistent every day, giving your 100 percent. If you don't, because of the level… I mean, the difference between players at the elite level is basically very, very small. Everybody is capable of beating each other at any given time. So I think the biggest challenge is being consistent, giving your 100 percent every single day.' Amit Kamath is Assistant Editor at The Indian Express and is based in Mumbai. ... Read More
ABC News
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Top chess player Magnus Carlsen forced into draw in historic game against over 134,000 people
World's top-ranked chess player Magnus Carlsen has been forced into a draw in an unprecedented game where he played against more than 143,000 people from around the globe. According to — the world's largest chess website — the Magnus Carlsen vs The World match, launched on April 4, is the first-ever online Freestyle Chess match of its kind against the former world champion. This is also the first time Carlsen has played a match against the general public. The mega-match ended after Team World checked Carlsen's king a third time despite the chess website's prediction that Carlsen would win by a wide margin. Team World forced the draw on move 32 after checking Carlsen's king three times in the corner of the board, where it could not escape. The rule is called "threefold repetition," meaning that all the pieces on the board are in the exact same position three times, which prompts a draw. In a Vote Chess match, according to instead of a single player deciding on the next move, a group of individuals vote on the next move. The game proceeds with the move that got the most votes by the end of the voting period. During the game, Carlsen played by himself with the white pieces. This means that Carlsen alone would determine all the moves that he would play. The community would play with the black pieces and vote on each move. At the end of each 24-hour voting period, the move that won the most votes would be played. A group of well-known coaches also provided the community with assistance, such as offering analysis of the game and explaining the ins and outs of every position through the Vote Chess chat. Sam Copeland, Head of Community at said this was a great moment and milestone for the chess world. "It's incredible to see 100,000 chess players have the opportunity to compete against the greatest chess player of all time—passionately debating moves and ideas, strategising, and trying to guess what Magnus will play next. "We are also excited to see this battle take place in Freestyle Chess, a format which allows for the greatest freedom and creativity for the players and a format for which Magnus has long advocated," he said. This isn't the first time Carlsen has faced the world, according to In 2002, at just 11 years old, the Norwegian chess grandmaster drew after 31 moves in a match hosted by online newspaper Nettavisen. The game attracted nearly 300,000 Norwegians online, and more than 20,000 move votes. In 2014, as reigning world champion, Carlsen checkmated the nation in 34 moves during a prime-time match on NRK, Norway's largest broadcaster. The 34-year-old became the world's top-ranked player in 2010 at the age of 19 and has won five World Championships. He achieved the highest-ever chess rating of 2882 in 2014 and has remained the undisputed world number one for more than a decade. "Overall, 'the world' has played very, very sound chess from the start," Carlsen said. "Maybe not going for most enterprising options, but kind of keeping it more in vein with normal chess — which isn't always the best strategy, but it worked out well this time." In a freestyle match, the bishops, knights, rooks, queen and king are randomly placed around the board at the start while the pawns are in their usual spots. Freestyle chess is popular because it allows players to be more creative and avoid memorisation, website said. Carlsen's historic online match was the third "vs The World" record-setting game, according to In 1999, more than 50,000 players joined forces to play against the legendary Russian former world champion Garry Kasparov. At the time, the match broke the record and made headlines as the largest chess match in history. Last year, Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand won his "vs The World" match against nearly 70,000 players on According to the Associated Press, in a virtual chat on this week, the team world appeared divided on whether to force a draw — and claim the glory — or to continue playing against Carlsen, even if it ultimately meant a loss. "Don't Draw! Let's keep playing Magnus," one user wrote. "This is an opportunity that won't come along again. I'd rather play the Master all the way to the end and see if we can battle it out another 20 or 30 moves! Let's have some FUN!!!" Another added: "Thanks Magnus for such a great game. We made history." ABC/AP
