The chess world is currently in a massive transitional phase as the older generation of grandmasters hand over the baton to the younger players. D Gukesh’s Victory at the World Championship in December Last Year was the biggest proof, as he took over the Role of India’s face in chess from visvanathan anand. With fide forced to make fresh changes, particularly due to the huge interest for the classical chess format from fans, modern-day chess have shown more in the shortforous forms, or innovative modifications. On February 7, The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will make its debut at the weissenhaus Resort in Wangels, Germany. The first leg of the series will also see the likes of gukesh, world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura and Vincent Keymer in Action.
Chess fans were excited with the principal of Gukesh Taking on Viswanathan Anand, who was in the roster initialy. But the India legend withdrew recently amid fide’s ongoing feud with freestyle chess players’ Club (FCPC). The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is co-Owned by Carlsen, Along with German Entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, and the FCPC was recently recognized by fide, but the bone of contentation Ld championship ‘name. Until now, both parties are yet to reach an agrement with fide over the title, but they see to be heading towards a Common Understanding, as revised by Buettner, in an exclusive interaction times.
Buettner Expects to Reach an agrement with fide by monday evening, latest, and during the interview, reveled that he had just spoken to fide president arkady dvorkovich. He expects to be alive to introduce a freestyle world chempionship this year its item, but also mentioned that it is not of utmost importance. The final leg of the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam takes place in south Africa, which by default will decide the best player at the tournament, on the basis of points.
“It was not the initial goal. The initial goal was to hold Grand slams. Having a world championship tournament, where basically one of the players are the freestyle world champ. So that has been our previous goal. The whole thing a world championship, “He said.
Viswanathan Anand’s Sudden Withdrawal
Anand’s withdrawal came as a surprise for fans, but it was also expected lines, consider his role as fide deputy president. The 55-Year-old also fell victim to criticism from carlsen during the year-ennding rapid and blitz championship in new york in December. After his jeans controversy, carlsen lased out at anand and felt that he was suitable for his role as fide deputy president. Anand’s Decision to Pull out has also left fans wondering if he will participate in the other tournaments of the Freestyle Grand Slam or is a total withdrawal.
Spilling the beans on the five-time world chess champion’s decision, Buettner pointed out that it was his personal decision to give anand a wildcard to participate in the freestyle tour. However, the recent developments between fide and FCPC, further fuelled by carlsen’s comments, played a huge factor in his decision to withdraw, according to the freestyle chass co-owner. Straightforward with his explanation, he further claimed that anand would not be Given another wildcard, and would have to qualify if he wisted to participate in the futures.
“First of all, we have to see under which qualification Criteria vishy was invited. So as he didnight the Criteria of Being One of the Top-3 Players of the World, Being Top Three Finishers of a Grand Slam, Having Won A Qualification Tournament, He was invited by me with a wildcard for that tournament, “said buettner.
“I can tell you of IF I Invite Somebody once with a Wild Card and then He Accepts And then He DeClines you know it’s very unlikely Doesn’t Qualify For some of the criteria which are laid out in our rules and regulations then
“Now, to the reason. Vishy, as you know, is a very friendly, very nice person, a very humble person. I like and so on. He was very happy to come. Not the wisest decision of Him to do that because, you know, if i’m 60 years old, when you look at you have achieved and don and so on, there some things that are, you know, you know, associated with more than reward to do something, right? And so with his status as like the grand senior, the maker of Indian chess, the world champion, I think it would been better for himself to not take an official position with FIDE, because then now all of a sudden, he is no all longer seen as the wonderful, beautiful, vishy anand, that he is, but he is seen as a representation and basicly has to stand for WhiteVer The Donve He stands behind it.
“So then we had this incident in new york, as you know, as well as i do, where I was not even present. I was in miami at that time, so I had not it do. I also just read it in the Press. Thing being that this Whole Tension Between Fide and Us Developed. S Like Once You Reach A Deal or a term negotiation you always have to be strong on your position and then you are also reaching your position in the agrement but that was not visible then and also indeed taking his personality, Kindi he was of behiths Middle of it. m bowing to step away from the tournament raather than just being in the middle of the whole thing So then he told us his decision that he would step away from the grand slam. We Gave Him The Wildcard and We Tried to Convince Him Otherwise.
“I said, you know, would it help maybe if magnus apologized and also course I can’t influence magnus or whitever into the wound of fide By Running Around and Calling It a World Championship. Ere’s a Lot of time where we can do something and then he thought about it back and then he said in the end, he wouldn Bollywood do it and it’s okay. Can we replace Him with and now we replaced Him with the Runners-up in the Online Qualification which is Uzbek Sindarov (Javokhir) which we are very happy to have a person Which now even leads for the uzbekistan prime minister . He is looking into visiting weissenhaus right
Delhi to be removed from freestyle Grand Slam Tour Schedule?
Delhi has also been picked as one of the host cits for the freestyle Grand Slam Tour With The Indian Leg Scheduled Between September 17 and 24. But according to recent reports, there is a lacke of life in the Indian eg. Buettner went on to Reveal that Other Countries Have ISTEAD OF HOSH e soon.
“So all of this is kind of like in limbo. And that only event that has not done to do with us lacking the funding but from a strategy point of view and from a focus point of view and what we deem I. We have to fund the events totally by orselves we raather go where we get some money or we have a strategic advantage or we basically know the place.
Freestyle Grand Slam Tour: Financial Future
Just like how the Indian Premier League and Other Similar Private Tournaments Took Some Time to Generate Revenue, Buettner also also expects it to be the same for freestyle chess. “So at this point, we are still taking on additional money. There’s significant interested from other parties investing. So to this point, we have taken in $ 15 million. O We might take in even up to 20 million right Plan that Basically Generally Says, 50% of the Basis for the Grand Slams will be covered by external money. To Break Even and Profitable Because We ALSO Our Overhead. And Along this, we are fin with $ 20 million.
Similarities with liv golf
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour has some similarities to the liv golf tour, or even slightly with the new uefa champions league format. Giving some insight into the format, Buettner said, “It is basically the professional players, where only the top-seeded ones participate and there’s a proper Qualification for the Othe Re discuss with fide right Now and also an internal request that we find the perfect mix of seeding the top players, only making sure that the top players are participating these are driving the audampies. Eat for the Reigning World Champion at Every Single Tournament and That’s The only player who is kind of seeded that way, not even magnus carlsen is seeded that way. uys in a grandstand. “
“This is basically part of what we are changing somehow and adapting somehow to bility also for people to join in so they can accumulate grand slam points. Ogeether in all tournaments after South Africa is the World Champion; that way we operate. “
After the German Leg, The Next Grand Slam will be hand in paris and is scheduled for april 8-15. It will be followed by the North American Leg in New York (July 17-24). After new york, Delhi was initially expected to host the next tournament, but the current situation does not see seek seem ideal for it to havete in India. Meanwhile, the final leg, where the freestyle Grand Slam Tour Court Go Down the wire, will be hand in Cape Town, South Africa (December 5-12).
