NEW DELHI: World champion D Gukesh finished in eighth position at the German leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam after losing to Iranian-French grandmaster Alireza Firouzja in the seventh-place playoff match at Weissenhaus resort on Friday.
The tournament proved to be a challenging one for Gukesh, as he ended his campaign without securing a single win.
After staging a remarkable comeback to draw game one against Firouzja, hopes were high for Gukesh to capitalise on his white-piece advantage in game two.
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However, he struggled to find his rhythm and succumbed in just 30 moves, sealing his eighth-place finish.
Firouzja, demonstrating superior control, took advantage of the opportunities presented and secured the win in their final encounter.
Meanwhile, German chess prodigy Vincent Keymer clinched the title, defying expectations and triumphing over formidable opponents.
Despite FIDE’s reluctance toward Chess 960, also known as Fischer Random Chess or Freestyle Chess, the format has gained traction and appears set to remain a part of the professional chess circuit.
Despite his winless campaign, Gukesh walked away with $20,000 for his eighth-place finish.
The tournament’s champion, Vincent Keymer, earned a staggering $200,000 after defeating Fabiano Caruana in the final. Caruana, the runner-up, received $140,000, while world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen secured third place and took home $100,000.
Javokhir Sindarov finished fourth with $60,000, followed by Hikaru Nakamura, who placed fifth and earned $50,000. Sixth-placed Nodirbek Abdusattorov pocketed $40,000, while Levon Aronian finished ninth with $12,500. Vladimir Fedoseev, securing 10th place, received $7,500.