NEW DELHI: Chess legend Viswanathan Anand’s unexpected withdrawal from the upcoming Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour has undoubtedly raised eyebrows across the global chess community.
Initially scheduled to take part in the season-opening event in Germany, Anand’s decision to pull out has sparked questions, especially amid the tensions between FIDE, the global governing body for chess, and the organisers of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour.
In an exclusive interaction with TimesofIndia.com, Freestyle Chess co-founder Jan Henric Buettner revealed what led to the five-time world champion’s decision to step away from the event.
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“It was my idea to invite him in the first place because I thought it was a great opportunity,” Buettner told TimesofIndia.com. “I gave him a wild card for Germany, and he accepted very happily. I also met him personally in London for lunch, and we had very good communication. We know each other quite well. He’s a very, very nice person.”
Despite this strong rapport, Anand’s recent position as Deputy President of FIDE seems to have complicated matters. “But then, for some reason, he chose to become the FIDE Vice President. I don’t know if it’s the wisest decision—having an official role in FIDE,” Buettner explained. “But Anand has made it, so now he is also standing for the FIDE position.”
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Buettner also pointed to the friction between Anand and current World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, particularly following the events that transpired in New York.
In the absence of the FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich, Carlsen criticised Anand following the jeans controversy at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, publicly stating that the Indian GM was unfit for the FIDE job.
“What happened in New York was that he saw it wasn’t so fortunate when he was in charge because Arkady was not there,” Buettner stated. “We had this jeans issue, which led to Magnus not saying very nice things about him.”
After these tensions, the organisers reached out to Anand in an attempt to resolve matters. “We communicated with him and asked, ‘What if Magnus apologises for his comments?’ But in the end, he said he felt more comfortable not participating,” Buettner said. “All I’m saying is that all of these things might have factored into Vishy’s decision not to participate. And I respect that. I respect that totally.”
The 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is set to begin in Germany on February 7, with the world’s top ten players, including Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, and D Gukesh, taking part. Javokhir Sindarov has been roped in for Anand’s replacement for the Germany leg. The tournament will then continue in Paris (April 8-15), New York (July 17-24), and, for now, New Delhi (September 17-24), before concluding in Cape Town (December 5-12).
However, TimesofIndia.com also reported that the New Delhi leg might be shifted to another location due to a lack of investor interest in India. For now, though, New Delhi remains listed as a placeholder on the official website.
The tournament organisers aim to make their Cape Town leg a world championship of freestyle chess, but FIDE is not yet on board. TimesofIndia.com has learnt that both parties are in discussions over the use of the term “World Championship” for the grand finale, with hopes of reaching a consensus before the December leg of the tour.