Indian Chess In Shambles As Freestyle Chess Tour India Leg Called Off Due To Financial Hurdles, CEO Reveals
The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour's fifth event, originally scheduled to take place in Delhi this September, has been canceled due to a lack of sponsorship. Jan Henric Buettner, the co-founder of the tour, confirmed the news to Chess.com after speculation arose when the Delhi leg was removed from the official website. This event was supposed to be the fifth in the inaugural Grand Slam series, following successful tournaments in Weissenhaus, Paris, and Karlsruhe. Currently, GM Magnus Carlsen leads the standings with 65 points after securing two event wins.
Despite the setback, Carlsen will headline the next event, which is set to be held in Las Vegas from July 16-20. Recently, he was seen facing off against nine-year-old Aarit Kapil from Delhi, who came close to defeating the reigning world number one.
When asked about a potential replacement for the Delhi leg, Buettner offered a cryptic response, hinting that something special could be in the works, but no official announcement has been made yet.
"Yes and no," Buettner said, as quoted by Chess.com. "We will do something special for the September leg of the tour instead. This will be announced after Las Vegas," he added.
Buettner also revealed plans to step down from his role as CEO. He had previously mentioned his desire to transition to a more executive role, and now he will officially end his tenure as CEO on July 1.
"I hope I get out of it! I want it to be implemented in a perfect way. I am giving everything, so when all my visions in my head are implemented, then I can have a more executive role," Buettner explained.
What's Next for India's Chess Stars?
With the cancellation of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour, India's top chess players will next compete at the Chennai Grand Masters, set to begin on August 6. The tournament will feature a 10-player round-robin format, with notable GMs such as Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Anish Giri, and Vincent Keymer among the participants.
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