World Champ Gukesh Reflects on Missteps Ahead of Paris Chess Tour

Quick Summary

• Indian chess prodigy D Gukesh had a challenging debut in the opening leg of the 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, recording 11 draws, six losses, and no wins. He placed eighth out of ten players and earned USD 20,000 from a prize pool of USD 750,000.
• The unique “Freestyle Chess” format shuns traditional opening theories, which posed difficulties for Gukesh despite being the youngest-ever world chess champion.
• Freestyle Chess co-founder Jan Henric Buettner praised Gukesh’s humility as he acknowledged his poor performance and expressed determination to improve.
• The Paris leg of the tour (April 7-14) will feature stronger Indian depiction with Arjun erigaisi, R Praggnanandhaa, Vidit Gujrathi (winning an online qualifier), alongside gukesh.Key competitors include Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and Vincent Keymer.
• rankings hold little weight in Freestyle Chess; success depends on adaptability under unconventional rules.

!D Gukesh

Indian Opinion Analysis
Gukesh’s entry into competitive Freestyle Chess highlights both his ambition as a reigning World Champion and the challenges posed by this unconventional format that neutralizes classical preparation advantages.While his results were below expectations in the opening leg of this high-stakes tournament series ($750K prize pool), his willingness to adapt showcases resilience critical for long-term growth at this level.

The expanded Indian contingent participating in Paris reflects India’s rising depth in elite chess despite facing formidable global opponents like Nakamura and Caruana. Success here could reinforce India’s reputation on novel platforms like Freestyle Chess while offering opportunities for young talents like Gukesh to mature through exposure and innovation-focused competition.

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