Bengaluru: A total of twelve Grandmasters, including eight of the top ten players globally—three of whom are from India—will set aside their traditional opening strategies and formal business attire in favor of vibrant velvet jackets at the Paris segment of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, commencing on April 7.

Following a disappointing performance in the first Freestyle Chess tournament of the year held in Weissenhaus, Germany, India's reigning world champion D Gukesh is set to participate in the second tournament of the series. Alongside the world No. 3, Indian competitors include R Praggnanandhaa, Arjun Erigaisi, and Vidit Gujrathi.

Vidit, currently ranked 25th in the world, will join the competition shortly after his wedding. Arjun secured his spot in the event by winning three consecutive Freestyle Fridays. "In classical games, I occasionally take additional risks to create engaging positions. However, in Freestyle, those intriguing positions develop organically, even without intentional risks on my part. This may be more suited to my style," Arjun remarked.

Freestyle Chess, also known as Chess 960, features randomized starting positions and will see the twelve players compete in round-robin matches over the first two days at the historic Bois de Vincennes in Paris. Eight players will advance to the knockout stage with classical time controls, culminating in the final on April 14. The champion will receive a substantial prize of $200,000. Germany's Vincent Keymer, who assisted Gukesh during last year's World Championship match, triumphed in the initial Freestyle event in Weissenhaus.

Freestyle Chess, supported by world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and German entrepreneur Jan Buettner, has faced controversy following a clash with the world chess governing body, FIDE. FIDE has maintained its claim to exclusive authority over the 'World Championship' title, a goal that the promoters of Freestyle Chess had aspired to achieve.

No Carlsen vs. Niemann

In an unexpected development, the organizers announced on Saturday that Hans Niemann has withdrawn from the event. The highly anticipated match between Niemann and Carlsen will no longer occur due to this last-minute decision. Niemann had received a wildcard entry after his victory at the Grenke Chess Open last year.

The tension between Carlsen and Niemann dates back to the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, where the five-time world champion suffered a defeat against Niemann while playing with the White pieces. Following this loss, Carlsen accused Niemann of cheating and subsequently exited the tournament. This incident became one of the most contentious moments in contemporary chess, leading to legal proceedings that were eventually resolved privately. In Niemann's absence, Uzbek world No. 6 Nodirbek Abdusattarov will take his place in Paris. Additionally, just a few days prior, French-Iranian Grandmaster Alireza Firouzja also withdrew from the event and was replaced by Hungarian GM Richard Rapport.

The current lineup includes: Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, D Gukesh, Arjun Erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Nodirbek Abdusattarov, Richard Rapport, Vincent Keymer, Vidit Gujrathi, Ian Nepomniachtchi, and Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.

Read Also: MS Dhoni Urged to Delay Retirement and Keep Playing for CSK

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!