D Gukesh fights back to hold Alireza Firouzja in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Feb 14, 2025, 00:22 IST

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World champion D Gukesh managed a draw against Alireza Firouzja in the final round of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. Local favorite Vincent Keymer won against Fabiano Caruana, while Magnus Carlsen defeated Javokhir Sindarov in the third-place playoff.

D Gukesh fights back to hold Alireza Firouzja in Freestyle Chess Grand Slam

D Gukesh. (Pic Credit - X)

NEW DELHI: World champion D Gukesh staged a remarkable comeback to salvage a draw against France’s Alireza Firouzja in the final round of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour at Weissenhaus, Germany.
Fighting for a top-eight qualification spot, Gukesh was on the defensive for most of the game but managed to hold on despite some tense moments in a long endgame.
Local favorite Vincent Keymer impressed with a crucial win over Fabiano Caruana, putting the American under pressure to level the score in the next game and force a tiebreak.
Meanwhile, world number one Magnus Carlsen bounced back from his semifinal defeat to Keymer in dominant fashion, defeating Javokhir Sindarov with the black pieces in the third-place playoff. Carlsen now stands as the favourite to secure third place in the $750,000 prize money tournament.

Hikaru Nakamura also made a strong comeback, turning the tables on Nodirbek Abdusattorov. The Uzbek Grandmaster, who had a solid position, overcomplicated matters in a minor piece endgame and paid the price.
Results: Vincent Keymer (GER) beat Fabiano Caruana (USA); Nodirbek Abdusattorov (UZB) lost to Hikaru Nakamura (USA); Alireza Firouzja (FRA) drew with D Gukesh (IND); Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) lost to Magnus Carlsen (NOR).

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TOI Sports Desk

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