Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa will soon be seen leading the Indian contingent at the Freestyle Chess Tournament in Las Vegas, USA. This tournament will be played between 16 world-renowned players, with Praggnanandhaa placed in the same group as World Champion Magnus Carlsen.
Sports News: Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa will lead the Indian team at the Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Tournament 2025. Meanwhile, World Champion D. Gukesh will not participate in this prestigious competition as he will be busy preparing for the main tournament of the Grandmaster Tour next month.
In this tournament, world number 1 player Magnus Carlsen will begin his campaign as the biggest contender for the title. A total of 16 players are divided into two groups. Each group will have 8 players, and the top 4 players from each group will advance to the next stage.
Indian Players Group and Fixtures
Praggnanandhaa to face world-class players. Indian Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa has been placed in the same group as Magnus Carlsen. Praggnanandhaa will begin his campaign against Grandmaster Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, Carlsen will face young German player Vincent Keymer in the first round.
Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi and Arjun Erigaisi have been placed in the second group. Vidit Gujrathi will face American star player Fabiano Caruana in his opening match. Arjun Erigaisi's first match will be against Hans Niemann of America.
First Time Entry of a Female Player, Eyes on Bibisara
This time, Kazakhstan's female Grandmaster Bibisara Assaubayeva has been given a chance in the tournament. This is the first time that a female player is being fielded in such a Freestyle Chess competition with the world's leading chess players. Freestyle chess is also commonly known as Fischer Random Chess or Chess 960.
In this format, the position of the pieces at the beginning of the game is not traditional but is determined randomly. This reduces the player's dependence on opening theory and tests true gaming skill, strategy, and immediate thinking.
Magnus Carlsen Again a Strong Contender
Magnus Carlsen is considered the most experienced and successful player in this format. He will start this time as the best contender for the title. He also performed brilliantly in this competition in 2024.
Tournament Format
- Two groups, 8 players in each group.
- Top 4 players will qualify for the next round.
- The players at the bottom will play against each other again.
- All players will compete against each other under the Round Robin format.
