The hotly anticipated Freestyle Chess Grand Tour kicked off today in Weissenhaus, Germany, but reigning world champion Dommaraju Gukesh did not get the start he was hoping for. The 19-year-old went through the opening day without notching a single win, settling for four draws and suffering one loss across the five rounds of play.
Rough Start for Gukesh
Gukesh, who claimed the world chess championship just last year, found himself struggling right out of the gate in this elite event featuring many of the world’s top players. His difficult day began with a hard-fought draw against the always dangerous Nodirbek Abdusattorov in round one.
Things went from bad to worse in the very next game, as Gukesh tasted defeat at the hands of rising star Alireza Firouzja. The French grandmaster had Gukesh on the ropes in a tricky endgame, and the pressure ultimately proved too much:
His only loss of the day came against Alireza Firouzja in the second round. The Frenchman had Gukesh under immense pressure in the endgame, when he caved making a blunder which gave Firouzja a mate-in-two, at which point Gukesh resigned.
Carlsen Also Struggles
Gukesh wasn’t the only big name to hit some speed bumps on day one. The legendary Magnus Carlsen, playing in his first major event since losing his world title to Gukesh, also had an up-and-down performance.
Carlsen started strong by defeating Hikaru Nakamura in round one, but then suffered surprising losses to Fabiano Caruana, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Javokhir Sindarov later in the day. Like Gukesh, the Norwegian icon sits on just 2 points out of a possible 5 so far.
Big Opportunities Missed
For Gukesh, the most frustrating part of the day was likely the missed chances to score full points. He achieved promising positions against both Levon Aronian and Javokhir Sindarov, but allowed both opponents to wriggle free with a draw.
Most painful was his final round battle with Nakamura. Gukesh built up a big advantage on the clock and the board, but a few inaccuracies let the American legend off the hook:
In the fifth and final round of the day, Gukesh got out of the opening with a significant advantage against Hikaru Nakamura, but had used up quite a bit of his time for it. With the clock putting pressure on him, he made a series of inaccuracies that handed the initiative back to the American, but in the end, even he couldn’t convert the advantage, and both players agreed on a draw.
Eyes on the Cut Line
At the end of five rounds, Gukesh finds himself in a four-way tie for 6th place with 2 points. Since the top 8 players advance to the knockout stage after tomorrow’s action, he’ll need a much stronger showing on day two to avoid the ignominy of being eliminated in the prelims as world champ.
Currently, Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov are setting the pace at the top of the standings with 4.5/5 each. Close behind is Alireza Firouzja with 3.5, while Nodirbek Abdusattorov holds down the crucial 4th place on 2.5 points.
Unique Format Twists
The Freestyle Chess Grand Tour marks a rare opportunity for fans to see most of the world’s elite players battling in an event being played under freestyle rules. Some key differences for freestyle play:
- No limits on use of calculation engines (traditional chess usually bans computer assistance)
- Knockout format with players choosing opponents (rather than Swiss)
- Monetary prizes in each match, incentivizing players to take risks
This combination should lead to some fascinating chess, as well as intriguing strategic decisions by players on which opponents to avoid or target as the event moves into its critical second day.
Gukesh on the Ropes
While Dommaraju Gukesh certainly didn’t envision being in this precarious position after day one, he has the talent to put this sluggish start behind him and come roaring back on Tuesday. But time is short, and he can’t afford any more disappointing results.
The chess world will be watching with bated breath tomorrow to see if the young phenom can turn it around and live up to his world #1 ranking, or whether his first major title defense will end in a stunning early exit. One thing is sure – on this first day in Germany, Gukesh didn’t look anything like the dominant force many expected him to be.
