Latest news with #LasVegasGrandSlam
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First Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Niemann takes a massive swipe after Carlsen fails to reach Freestyle Chess Las Vegas knockouts: 'Karma is a….'
Hans Niemann did not hide his emotions in the commentary booth as Levon Aronian defeated Magnus Carlsen in the tie-break to relegate the world No 1 and the current Grand Slam Tour leader to the fifth spot in the White Group, and subsequently denying him a place in the quarter-finals. read more Hans Niemann celebrated in the commentary booth as Levon Aronian defeated Magnus Carlsen in the group-stage tie-breaker, denying the latter a place in the Las Vegas Grand Slam quarter-finals. Image credit: Screengrab of Freestyle Chess's live stream of Las Vegas Grand Slam The opening day of the Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will have left everyone in attendance as well as chess fans around the world with their jaws hanging. After all, world No 1 Magnus Carlsen – who is firmly in the lead in the overall standings – getting knocked out in the group stage. Freestyle Chess co-founder Carlsen finished at the fifth spot in the White Group with four points after suffering three defeats, including against India's R Praggnanandhaa as well as in the fourth-spot tie-breaker against American Grandmaster Levon Aronian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Unlike the previous events in the Grand Slam Tour, the Las Vegas leg has 16 players divided into two groups, with the top four from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals which marks the beginning of the knockouts. And for Carlsen to not even make it to the quarter-finals after back-to-back wins in Paris and Kalrsruhe – registering a percent 9/9 in the latter – comes as a shock bigger than his semi-final loss against German GM Vincent Keymer in the tour opener in Weissenhaus. Niemann reacts to Carlsen's early exit from Las Vegas Grand Slam American Grandmaster Hans Niemann, who is playing in the Black Group alongside compatriots Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana as well as India's Arjun Erigaisi, couldn't help but take a big swipe at the world No 1 after he got relegated to the 'Losers' bracket. Niemann was commentating on the Carlsen vs Aronian tie-breaker in the commentary booth alongside GM David Howell and IM Tania Sachdev and did not hide his emotions during the course of the battle. 'There are very few pleasures in life that compare to this feeling,' Niemann had said in the commentary booth after Aronian defeated Carlsen in Game 1 of their fourth-spot tie-breaker on Wednesday after both players finished level on four points. 'You know what they say, karma is a…. I don't want to finish the sentence. Levon, I'm taking you to dinner tonight,' the 22-year-old added. Watch Niemann's reactions here: STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Niemann's reaction is understandable to say the least if one is aware of his history with Carlsen. The controversial GM, after all, had filed a $100 million lawsuit against the Norwegian chess icon after the latter had accused him of cheating in the 2022 Sinquefield Cup. And even though both parties reached an out-of-court settlement with his lawsuit ultimately getting dismissed by a federal judge a year later, Niemann and Carlsen have been hostile towards each other ever since, trading barbs from time to time. Niemann was scheduled to participate in the Paris Grand Slam but pulled out of the event in the last minute without offering an explanation.
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First Post
7 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Freestyle Chess Las Vegas: Players, schedule, format, live streaming and everything else you need to know
The fourth leg of the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour gets underway in Las Vegas, USA on Wednesday with world No 1 and Freestyle Chess co-founder Magnus Carlsen eyeing a hat-trick of victories after emerging triumphant in Paris and Karlsruhe. read more Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura had squared off in the Paris Grand Slam final and also headline the Las Vegas leg that gets underway on Wednesday, 16 July. Image credit: Freestyle Chess The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour returns to action after a hiatus of nearly three months, with the fourth event of the tour set to get underway in Las Vegas on Wednesday. Norwegian chess icon Magnus Carlsen, co-founder the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, is currently on a winning streak, having emerged triumphant in the last two events in Paris and Karlsruhe. The 34-year-old will be eyeing a hat-trick of victories in the American leg of the tour that gets underway less than 24 hours from now, which should further consolidate his position at the top of the standings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's everything you need to know about the Las Vegas Grand Slam: When will the Las Vegas Grand Slam get underway? And how long with the event go on? The Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will be taking place from 16 to 20 July. Here's the full schedule for the event: 16 July: Group round-robin 17 July: Quarter-finals 18 July: Upper bracket semi-finals 19 July: Lower bracket semi-finals 20 July: Finals Where will the Las Vegas Grand Slam take place? The Las Vegas Grand Slam will be taking place at Wynn Las Vegas, a luxury resort and casino located along the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. Who are the players in action at the Las Vegas Grand Slam? World No 1 Carlsen will be headlining the Las Vegas leg of the Grand Slam Tour along expected lines while the event will also feature American Grandmasters Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana and Weissenhaus champion Vincent Keymer, who form the top four in the overall standings. As for the Indians in action, Classical world champion D Gukesh has opted out after his underwhelming performances in Weissenhaus and Paris, with compatriots Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi set to compete at the event. Also mssing , Ian Nepomniachtchi has also opted out of the event, due to personal reasons, and has been replaced by American GM Sam Sevian. India's Arjun Erigaisi had finished a creditable fifth in the Paris Grand Slam and will be eyeing a top-four finish in Las Vegas. Image credit: Freestyle Chess The event also features controversial American GM Hans Niemann, who has been making headlines for his feud with Carlsen more than anything else recently. Here's the full list of competitors in action in Las Vegas: 1. Magnus Carlsen. 2. Hikaru Nakamura. 3. Fabiano Caruana. 4. Levon Aronian. 5. Arjun Erigaisi. 6. Nodirbek Abdusattorov. 7. Leinier Dominguez Perez. 8. Ray Robson. 9. Wesley So. 10. Vincent Keymer. 11. Sam Sevian. 12. R Praggnanandhaa. 13. Hans Niemann. 14. Bibisara Assaubayeva. 15. Javokhir Sindarov. 16. Vidit Gujrathi. What's the format of the Las Vegas Grand Slam? The fourth leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour has a format that's slightly different from the previous events, with the 16 participants divided into two groups of eight players each. The group stage will then be played on a round-robin basis with each player facing the remaining members of his/her group once. The top four players from each group then advance to the quarter-finals, with the top players getting to choose their last-8 opponent from the opposite group. The winners then advance to the semi-finals and the final, while the losers stay back for the classification matches that will decide the final positions for each player other than the two finalists. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The time controls for the group stage has been set at 10+10 while that for the knockouts is at 30+30 – including the final and the third-fourth place playoff, with the organisers opting against retaining Classical 90+30 time controls that was in place in earlier events. What's the total prize money on offer at the Las Vegas Grand Slam? The prize fund for the Las Vegas Grand Slam stands at US$750,000 – $710,000 for the main event and $40,000 for the Play-In. The winner is set to win $200,000 while the runner-up and the player finishing third will win $140,000 and $100,000 respectively. Here's the full breakdown of the prize fund: 1st: $200,000 2nd: $140,000 3rd: $100,000 4th: $60,000 5th: $50,000 6th: $40,000 7th: $30,000 8th: $20,000 9th-12th: $10,000 13th-16th: $7,500 Where can I watch the Las Vegas Grand Slam LIVE? The Las Vegas Grand Slam will be telecast on the website as well as YouTube channels of Freestyle Chess and
Chicago Tribune
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Derrick Rose is looking for purpose in retirement. Chess might provide an answer for the ex-NBA MVP.
LAS VEGAS — Derrick Rose is accustomed to standing shoulder to shoulder with greatness. But Sunday was a little different. The former NBA MVP for the Chicago Bulls sat on a stage alongside chess grandmaster and five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen, surveying an unplayed board. Carlsen leaned over to Rose, pointing to a few pieces as he offered a few quick words of advice. The unlikely pairing was part of Chesstival, a tournament that Rose organized to overlap with the NBA Summer League and that kicked off the Freestyle Chess tour's weeklong stay in Las Vegas. The pro-am event — which teamed grandmasters with former and current NBA players in a 'head and hand' pairs tournament — marked a capstone in Rose's yearslong effort to establish a presence in the often-exclusive infrastructure of competitive chess. Rose finds plenty of parallels between basketball and chess. The court and the board are different, but winning in either arena requires many of the same qualities. Patience. Respect for the opponent. Balance. And for Rose, truly enjoying the game requires the same mentality. 'I know this is only a game,' he told the Tribune. 'You can quit this game. I can walk away from this board. But I can't quit my life.' In the nine-plus months since Rose retired from the NBA, chess has become a driving force in his life. One of his main goals for his post-basketball career is to enhance the game's popularity as a gateway to self-improvement. He believes chess is more accessible than it's often credited for and hopes to provide more entry points for young players through charitable initiatives. This passion is also why Rose invested in Freestyle Chess and organized Chesstival, which launched the tour's first U.S. event at Wynn Las Vegas. The 16-player Las Vegas Grand Slam runs from Wednesday through Sunday. Before this past Sunday, it had been more than a decade since Rose set foot in the Wynn. In 2014, the hotel hosted Team USA for a minicamp in the lead-up to the FIBA World Cup. He didn't know it at the time, but that tournament would mark a turning point for Rose — one final, hopeful attempt at a comeback from a yearslong battle with knee injuries. Eleven years later, Rose returned with a different mindset: less desperate to prove himself but still hopeful. Things have changed since 2014. Basketball no longer dominates Rose's life. But the setting still offered a chance for reflection — and gratitude for the platform created by his partnership with Carlsen. 'I want to push things to the limit,' Rose said. 'I'm thinking macro. But these are places I can't afford yet. My ideas were libraries and airports. They're looking at the nicest hotel on the Strip.' Chess found Rose early in his NBA career. He first tried out the game as a pastime, intrigued by studies that suggested playing chess could reduce a person's chances of developing Alzheimer's disease or dementia, something that worried him even in his early 20s. After he suffered his first major knee injury in 2012, chess became an escape for Rose throughout the long months of recovery. He began carrying a board on road trips, inviting teammates to play against him. He made a account to duel higher-rated players from around the world. His friends picked up the hobby with him, playing informal tournaments during the offseasons. Although he's an avid online player, Rose doesn't keep track of his rating. 'I'm a baller,' he joked. 'Get me on the board, I might win. I got a jankiness to my game.' Rose isn't alone in his passion. Chess holds widespread popularity throughout the NBA — as evidenced by Sunday's event, which featured current and former players such as Quinten Post and Tony Snell. But this shared passion also had a strange aura around it, almost cultish, as Rose described. For instance, former Bulls teammate Drew Gooden is an avid chess player, yet he never mentioned it while he shared a locker room with Rose. So why don't NBA players talk about chess? 'I have no idea,' Rose said with a laugh. He wants to encourage more vocal support for the game, particularly to increase youth participation. That was a crucial aspect of placing Chesstival during the opening weekend of the summer league, when an increasing number of NBA fans descend upon Las Vegas to watch upcoming players and mingle with current stars. Rose believes chess can be akin to basketball in its accessibility, but he wants to use his platform to improve some of the barriers that limit the affordability of competition. While high-profile events such as Chesstival focus on the game's biggest stars, Rose is more focused on the grassroots movement — providing support and free education about the game to kids, starting in Chicago. 'We want to look out for everyone,' he said. While last weekend marked a notable victory for Rose in his post-basketball career, in the early months retirement was hard. He didn't know what to do with his mornings. Or his afternoons. Or his evenings. Structure is a constant in the NBA. Rose almost took it for granted. For years, his life followed the heartbeat of his team's schedule — morning film, bus to the arena, pregame meal, recovery. And then, on an otherwise routine day in late September, all of that went away and Rose was left to reorganize the quiet vacuum of day-to-day life. Coming home helped. Rose is now fully based in Chicago again. After eight seasons of playing in other cities, he has found joy in being embraced by the city. He threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the White Sox season opener and served as grand marshal of the NASCAR Chicago Street Race over Fourth of July weekend. One of his next business priorities will be a significant investment in the 1901 Project, which aims to develop the area surrounding the United Center into a multi-use entertainment district. Most of all Rose is finding peace in the same place as always — on the basketball court, now with his son PJ. PJ, 12, plays for MeanStreets, the same AAU program that helped develop his father. And Rose is right there with him — watching film, designing workouts and offering the toughest one-on-one cover in Chicago when he wants to get in some extra scrimmaging. Rose misses basketball. He always will. But slowly all of this has become enough. 'You find it,' Rose said about his new purpose after basketball. 'It takes time, but you find it.'
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First Post
24-06-2025
- Sport
- First Post
D Gukesh missing as Freestyle Chess announces full line-up for Las Vegas Grand Slam; Bibisara set to make history
While chess world champion D Gukesh's name is missing from Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Grand slam, Bibisara Assaubayeva is et to become the first woman to compete in a Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. read more After taking part in Weissenhaus and Paris Grand Slams, D Gukesh will miss Freestyle Chess Las Vegas event. Image: FIDE on X Chess world champion D Gukesh's name was missing as the Freestyle Chess organisers on Tuesday announced the full line-up for the Las Vegas Grand Slam 2025. The Freestyle Chess Las Vegas Grand Slam will take place from 16-20 July. The Las Vegas Grand Slam, which will take place at Wynn Resorts, is also going to be historic as Kazakhstani professional chess player Bibisara Assaubayeva will become the first woman to compete in a Freestyle Chess Grand Slam. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Hans Niemann, who pulled out of the Paris Grand Slam at the last minute, will also be a part of the event in Las Vegas after qualifying for the tournament through a qualifier on Naturally, fans will be looking forward to his clash with world No.1 Magnus Carlsen, who recently hit the 2900 Elo rating in Freestyle chess . Besides Carlsen, Niemann and Assaubayeva, the remaining players in the line-up are: Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Arjun Erigaisi, Levon Aronian, Wesley So, Nodirbek Abdusattorov, Leinier Dominguez, Parham Maghsoodloo, Vincent Keymer, Ian Nepomniachtchi, R Praggnanandhaa, Javokhir Sindarov and Vidit Gujrathi. No clarity on why Gukesh is missing There's no clarity on why 19-year-old world champion Gukesh is not a part of the Las Vegas Grand Slam. The organisers have not announced anything officially, but Gukesh may have decided to take a break after the Norway Chess 2025, where he finished third and defeated Carlsen for the first time in Classical chess. The full lineup is out! Who are you most excited to see compete in Vegas? — Freestyle Chess (@chess_freestyle) June 23, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gukesh has also not had a great run in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam events so far, finishing eighth at the inaugural event in Weissenhaus and 11th in Paris. He is 16th in the overall standings. In Gukesh's absence, Erigaisi, Praggnanandhaa and Gujrathi will be representing India. Carlsen currently leads the standings after two legs, with 65 points. He also won the Paris leg of the event, while American Grandmaster Caruana is in the second spot (39 points). Germany's Keymer, who won the inaugural Weissenhaus leg, is in the third spot (37 points). The leader at the end of the five legs will be crowned the Freestyle Chess Champion.
