Gukesh Pulls Out of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess; Fatigue Sidelines Top Contender, Carlsen Matchup Scrapped

D Gukesh will not be facing Magnus Carlsen at the upcoming Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour event in Las Vegas. The official lineup for the Las Vegas leg, scheduled from July 16 to 20, was released last Tuesday, revealing Gukesh's absence.

Jan Henric Buettner, co-founder and CEO of Freestyle Chess, disclosed the reason for this late change. Speaking to TimesofIndia.com, Buettner explained that Gukesh cited exhaustion and a need for rest.

"He said he’s exhausted and needs rest," Buettner stated. "His performances have not been that good at any Grand Slam. We were always expecting that he would decline to participate in the next event."

Indian chess stars: Gukesh, Vidit, Arjun, and Praggnanandhaa (Photo Credit: ChessBase India)

Despite initial intentions to participate following the Paris event, the Norway Chess tournament proved particularly draining for Gukesh. "But then, there was Norway Chess. This exhausted him so much. Even I would be exhausted," Buettner remarked.

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," he confirmed. In Freestyle Chess, players often sport distinctively colored jackets.

Gukesh's withdrawal occurs as he seeks consistency on the Freestyle Chess circuit. After finishing eighth in Weissenhaus and eleventh in Paris, he held 11th place overall with four FCC points, later dropping to 16th after the Grenke Open.

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

The Las Vegas event marks Freestyle Chess's debut on American soil, the fourth stop on the 2025 Grand Slam Tour. The tournament, held at the Wynn Las Vegas, will feature a live audience and a prize pool of $750,000, with $200,000 awarded to the winner.

In related news, the Indian leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, originally planned for September 17–24 in New Delhi, has been cancelled due to a lack of sponsors. Additionally, Jan Henric Buettner will step down as CEO on July 1, with COO Thomas Harsch succeeding him in daily operations. Buettner will remain as Executive Chairman, focusing on strategic matters.