Chess Prodigy Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu will not be participating in the inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour in Weissenhaus, Germany, this month. Despite his recent victory at the Tata Steel Chess Championship in Wijk aan Zee, Netherlands, he did not qualify through the Freestyle’s online qualification tournament last month.
Gukesh D Takes the Spotlight World champion Gukesh D will be the sole Indian player representing the country at the first round in Germany. Gukesh secured his spot in the tournament after his victory over China’s Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship final last year. Viswanathan Anand, another legendary Indian grandmaster, was set to participate but withdrew due to his conflicting responsibilities as the deputy president of FIDE.
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, supported by Magnus Carlsen and spearheaded by German entrepreneur Jan Henric Buettner, features the Chess960 variant, also known as the Fischer Random Variant. This variant of chess randomly arranges the back-rank pieces, making high-level games less predictable and more exciting. Carlsen has championed this format as an alternative to the classical game, arguing that traditional chess has become too predictable due to supercomputers.
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Praggnanandhaa’s Journey and Future Goals
Praggnanandhaa’s exclusion from the tour is a disappointment for his fans, especially after his remarkable blitz tiebreak victory at Tata Steel. However, his journey in the world of chess is far from over. He continues to be one of the rising stars in the chess community, and his recent achievements indicate a promising future.
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour will include four more rounds after the initial event in Germany. The tour will proceed to Paris in April, New York City in July, New Delhi in September, and will conclude in Cape Town, South Africa, in December. This new format aims to revolutionize the game of chess and attract a wider audience.
Also Read: Praggnanandhaa Credits Magnus Carlsen’s Influence for Tata Steel Chess Masters 2025 Victory
