Viswanathan Anand during the gully of the Tata Steel Chess India tourney successful Kolkata successful September 2023. (Express Photo by Partha Paul)
The much-anticipated conflict betwixt satellite champion Viswanathan Anand and his protege Gukesh astatine the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour expected to hap adjacent week volition not hap aft the five-time satellite champion pulled retired from the event.
While nary crushed has been fixed for Anand’s withdrawal, it comes successful the mediate of an acrimonious feud betwixt FIDE connected 1 manus and the organisers of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour and Magnus Carlsen connected the different hand.
Five-time satellite champion Anand is simply a Deputy President successful FIDE, the planetary governing assemblage for chess.
READ MORE: FIDE CEO slams Magnus Carlsen, Freestyle Chess and tells them, ‘If you privation a warfare – effort us’
The organisers of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour had named Anand arsenic 1 of the 10 players successful the tract astatine the season-opening event, to beryllium held astatine the Weissenhaus Private Nature Luxury Resort successful Germany. Gukesh and different satellite champion Magnus Carlsen are portion of the archetypal lawsuit successful Germany.
A connection connected the Freestyle Chess’ website confirmed the withdrawal without explaining why: “…Viswanathan Anand withdrew connected abbreviated notice,” it reads.
Sindarov fills in
Javokhir Sindarov, a 19-year-old Uzbek prodigy, volition capable successful the spot near vacant by Anand. Sindarov was the runner-up successful the online qualifier aft losing to Vladimir Fedoseev.
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Sindarov is said to person been informed of a spot opening up astatine the Weissenhaus lawsuit portion helium was connected a household abrogation successful Dubai. “On Friday morning, I received a WhatsApp connection confirming that I would beryllium playing. Everyone was thrilled,” Sindarov was quoted arsenic saying by Freestyle Chess.
In caller weeks, FIDE and Freestyle Chess person fired shots astatine each other. The 2 entities person battled implicit the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour victor being called a satellite champion.
Freestyle Chess organisers person besides claimed that FIDE asked for $5,00,000 annually to let the lawsuit to spell ahead. Players similar Magnus Carlsen and Hikaru Nakamura person accused FIDE of threatening them implicit their information astatine the event.