The Paris Freestyle Chess Grand Slam is just around the corner, and it’s set to feature a strong trio from India, alongside big names like Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa, who are India’s top three grandmasters, will be heading to Paris in April for the second Freestyle Chess Grand Slam of the year.

Arjun’s spot in the event has been officially confirmed through a social media post from Freestyle Chess. However, there’s still no word on whether Praggnanandhaa will be joining him in Paris. Gukesh also hasn’t made any official announcement about his participation in this second leg.

You're all set to join

Freestyle Chess has confirmed that D Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa will be competing in Paris, according to an online media source. Gukesh recently participated in the first leg at Weissenhaus but didn’t manage to secure a win, finishing in eighth place. The Weissenhaus Grand Slam was claimed by German GM Vincent Keymer, who triumphed over Caruana in the final match. Meanwhile, World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen faced Keymer in the semi-finals and ended up in third place.

The Paris event will also feature American GM Hans Niemann, who earned his spot by winning the 2024 Grenke Chess Open. His participation has stirred up some controversy due to his past scandal with Carlsen in 2022, where Carlsen accused him of cheating. Niemann responded by suing Carlsen, Chess.com, and Hikaru Nakamura, but eventually, all parties came to an agreement, and the lawsuit was dropped.

The presence of Praggnanandhaa, Arjun, and Gukesh in the same Grand Slam event is sure to attract a lot of attention from Indian fans. In the latest FIDE ratings, Gukesh is ranked fifth with a rating of 2777, just behind Arjun Erigaisi, who has a rating of 2801.

However, in the live Elo ratings, Gukesh has surpassed Erigaisi and is now World No. 3 with a rating of 2787.2, while Erigaisi has slipped to fifth with a rating of 2776.7. Praggnanandhaa is currently ranked third among Indian players in live ratings, but he sits at fourth in the published FIDE standings.

Praggnanandhaa is on a roll, having recently defeated Gukesh in a tie-breaker at Wijk aan Zee to win the Tata Masters. His participation in Paris is bound to generate a lot of excitement among fans.

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!