D Gukesh Pulls Out of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Citing Exhaustion; Vidit Gujrathi Steps In

D Gukesh, the reigning World Champion, will not be competing in the upcoming Las Vegas leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour. The event is scheduled to take place from July 16 to 20.

Exhaustion Cited as Reason for Withdrawal

According to Freestyle Chess co-founder and CEO Jan Henric Buettner, Gukesh cited exhaustion as the reason for his withdrawal.

"He said he’s exhausted and needs rest," Buettner revealed in an exclusive interview.

Buettner also noted that Gukesh's performances at previous Grand Slam events had not been up to par, leading to the expectation that he might decline participation in the Las Vegas event. Despite an initial commitment to attend, the demanding Norway Chess tournament proved too taxing for the young champion.

Vidit Gujrathi to Replace Gukesh

Vidit Gujrathi has been formally included in the line-up as Gukesh's replacement. He will be wearing the "red jacket," which was previously assigned to Gukesh, a tradition in Freestyle Chess events where players wear distinctively colored jackets.

Gukesh's Recent Performances

Gukesh's withdrawal comes at a time when he has been striving for consistency in the Freestyle Chess circuit. After finishing eighth at Weissenhaus and eleventh in Paris, he was in 11th place overall with four FCC points. However, he demonstrated his capabilities at the Norway Chess tournament, finishing third behind Magnus Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana, and securing wins against Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi.

Las Vegas Event Details

The Las Vegas event will be the fourth stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Tour and Freestyle Chess's debut on American soil. The tournament, hosted at the Wynn Las Vegas, will feature a live audience and a prize pool of $750,000, with $200,000 awarded to the winner.

Other Updates

The Indian leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, initially scheduled for September 17–24 in New Delhi, has been canceled due to a lack of sponsors. Additionally, Jan Henric Buettner will step down as CEO on July 1, with COO Thomas Harsch taking over daily operations. Buettner will transition to the role of Executive Chairman, focusing on strategic initiatives.