D Gukesh Pulls Out of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Citing Exhaustion; Carlsen Matchup Scrapped

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will proceed in Las Vegas without the participation of reigning World Champion D Gukesh. Initially anticipated to face Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh's absence from the 16-player lineup, scheduled to compete in Las Vegas from July 16-20, has been explained by Freestyle Chess co-founder and CEO Jan Henric Buettner.

Gukesh and Carlsen were expected to be major contenders.

Buettner revealed to TimesofIndia.com that Gukesh cited exhaustion as the primary reason for his withdrawal. "He said he's exhausted and needs rest," Buettner stated. He further elaborated that Gukesh's performances in the Grand Slam events had been below par, leading to the expectation that he might decline the invitation to Las Vegas.

Despite initially accepting the invitation after the Paris leg, Gukesh's participation in Norway Chess proved to be particularly draining. "But then, there was Norway Chess. This exhausted him so much... He was so exhausted that I got a message. He said he's exhausted and would like to rest. He can't come to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he needs rest. So, you know, that's understandable," Buettner explained.

Vidit Gujrathi has been formally included in the lineup as Gukesh's replacement. "So we invited Vidit again as a replacement. So Vidit will wear the red jacket of Gukesh this time in Vegas," Buettner confirmed. In Freestyle Chess, players traditionally wear distinctively colored jackets, adding a unique visual element to the competition.

Indian chess prodigies.

Gukesh's withdrawal comes at a time when he has been striving for consistency in the Freestyle Chess circuit. After finishing eighth in Weissenhaus and eleventh in Paris, he held the 11th overall position with just four FCC points. Following the Grenke Open, he slipped to 16th.

However, Gukesh demonstrated his prowess at the Norway Chess tournament, securing third place behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. Notably, he achieved victories against the top three FIDE-rated players, including Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi.

The Las Vegas event marks the fourth stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Tour and Freestyle Chess’s debut on American soil. The tournament, hosted at the Wynn Las Vegas, will offer a live audience experience and a substantial prize pool of $750,000, with the winner receiving $200,000.

In related news, the Indian leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, initially scheduled for September 17–24 in New Delhi, has been cancelled due to a lack of sponsors. Furthermore, Jan Henric Buettner will step down as CEO on July 1, with COO Thomas Harsch assuming the role of overseeing daily operations. Buettner will transition to the position of Executive Chairman, focusing on strategic initiatives.