The inaugural Freestyle Chess Grand Tour commenced in Weissenhaus, Germany, gathering an elite field of chess players for a demanding test of their skills in a non-standard format. The opening day featured five rounds of rapid chess, setting the stage for the subsequent knockout phase. However, for the reigning World Champion, D Gukesh, the start proved unexpectedly challenging, as he concluded the day without a single victory.
Gukesh finished Day 1 with 2 points out of a possible 5, placing him in a congested mid-table alongside several other formidable competitors. His score derived from four draws and one loss.
The sole defeat came in the second round against Alireza Firouzja. Under significant endgame pressure, Gukesh reportedly committed a critical error that led to a checkmate sequence, prompting his resignation.
His draws told varied stories. The first round saw him hold Nodirbek Abdusattorov to a draw after defending a difficult position into an endgame where Abdusattorov, despite possessing two knights against Gukesh`s solitary king, could not force the win. A relatively quiet game in the third round resulted in a draw against Levon Aronian.
Perhaps the most tense moment arrived in the fourth round against Javokhir Sindarov. Gukesh found himself in an inferior position early on, which only worsened as the game progressed. Yet, a timely blunder by Sindarov in the endgame offered Gukesh a route back to equality, an opportunity he seized to secure the draw.
The final round of the day pitted Gukesh against Hikaru Nakamura. Gukesh emerged from the opening with a promising advantage but had invested considerable time on the clock to achieve it. Facing time pressure, he made several inaccuracies, shifting the initiative to Nakamura. Despite the advantage, Nakamura was also unable to convert, and the game concluded with a draw. Nakamura, mirroring Gukesh`s score, also finished the day with four draws and one loss.
The day was marked by volatility for several players. Five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen also ended Day 1 on 2 points, experiencing a roller-coaster of results including wins against Nakamura and Vincent Keymer, and losses to Fabiano Caruana, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Javokhir Sindarov.
At the top of the leaderboard after five rounds, Fabiano Caruana and Javokhir Sindarov share the lead, each accumulating an impressive 4.5 points. The rapid phase continues tomorrow with four more rounds, after which two players from the ten-player field will be eliminated. The top eight will advance to the quarter-finals, where a unique element comes into play: the top four finishers from the rapid phase will have the privilege of selecting their opponents from the players ranked 5th through 8th, in order of their finish.
D Gukesh`s Results on Day 1
- 0.5 – 0.5 vs Nodirbek Abdusattorov
- 0 – 1 vs Alireza Firouzja
- 0.5 – 0.5 vs Levon Aronian
- 0.5 – 0.5 vs Javokhir Sindarov
- 0.5 – 0.5 vs Hikaru Nakamura
Freestyle Chess Grand Tour Standings After Round 5
- Fabiano Caruana – 4.5 points
- Javokhir Sindarov – 4.5 points
- Alireza Firouzja – 3.5 points
- Nodirbek Abdusattorov – 2.5 points
- Magnus Carlsen – 2 points
- Dommaraju Gukesh – 2 points
- Hikaru Nakamura – 2 points
- Vincent Keymer – 2 points
- Vladimir Fedoseev – 1 point
- Levon Aronian – 1 point
