NEW DELHI: The Indian leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, which was scheduled to be held in New Delhi from September 17 to 24, has been cancelled by lack of sponsors. The tournament, which would have featured Grand Slam leader Magnus Carlsen, will no longer take place in India this year.
Freestyle Chess co-founder and CEO Jan Henric Buettner confirmed the development to TimesofIndia.com.
“We still have the same situation as we’ve had for the past one and a half years. I’ve approached several Indian sponsors, but none have come forward. That’s why we’ve decided to take the event elsewhere,” Buettner said.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Carlsen currently leads the Freestyle Chess Championship standings with 65 points. American GM Fabiano Caruana and German leg winner Vincent Keymer are next in line, while India’s Arjun Erigaisi is placed sixth with 16 points.
Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Standings
The cancellation is a setback for Indian fans, who were looking forward to witnessing World No. 1 Carlsen compete in the innovative Freestyle Chess format, which randomises starting positions and places greater emphasis on creativity over memorised openings.
The Delhi leg was expected to bring global chess stars to Indian soil, at a time when the country is experiencing a rapid rise in talent and international recognition.
With the India leg called off, organisers are now working on an alternative event as part of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam tour.
TimesofIndia.com has also learned that Buettner will step down as CEO of Freestyle Chess on July 1.
Current Chief Operating Officer Thomas Harsch will take over the role and handle the day-to-day affairs, while Buettner will continue as Executive Chairman and remain a key stakeholder in the company, shifting to a more strategic role.
Meanwhile, the next stop for the Freestyle Chess Tour will be in the United States.
From July 16 to 20, Wynn Las Vegas will host 16 of the world’s top players in a $750,000 tournament. The format includes group-stage rapid games and knockout rounds with longer time controls. The winner will take home $200,000.
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