New Delhi to Forego Anticipated D Gukesh vs Magnus Carlsen Match as Freestyle Chess Tour Lacks Participants: Report
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India, Feb. 1 -- The highly-anticipated Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour's first leg is set to begin in Weissenhaus, Germany on February 7. The Freestyle Chess Players Club (FCPC) consisting of the likes of D Gukesh, Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura received official recognition from the FIDE in December 2024.
But fast forward to February 1 2025, the FIDE is currently at war with FCPC. FCPC co-owner Jan Henric Buettner has attacked FIDE in an interview for demanding 500,000 dollars for the rights to use the world c'ship title. He also claimed that he would take the body to court. Meanwhile, FIDE CEO Emil Sutovsky has responded with his own claims, stating that FIDE has a right to the world c'ship title, and has accused Carlsen of trying to create chaos within the chess ecosystem.
In a massive setback to FCPC, Viswanathan Anand pulled out of the Freestyle Grand Slam's first leg. Anand is FIDE deputy president, and his withdrawal shows that he chose his side in the ongoing tussle. Now according to a TimesofIndia.com report, India are at risk of losing the chance to host the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam.
According to their official website, the India leg will take place in New Delhi from September 17-24 this year. But in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com, Buettner revealed that India could be dropped from the tournament's 2025 calendar due to the absence of a suitable investor.
"Delhi is the only tournament we haven't finalised yet because we are receiving offers from other cities. They are offering hosting fees. If we get a seven or eight-figure offer from another location, of course, we'll go there," Buettner said.
The first leg of the Grand Slam Tour will also see India's R Pragnanandhaa in action. Anand's decision to withdraw also comes after Carlsen criticised him for not performing his FIDE duties properly. Carlsen's comments came after his jeans scandal at the Rapid and Blitz Championship in New York. From India, we will also have Gukesh in action in Germany.
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