Fatigue Sidelines D Gukesh: World Champion Withdraws from Las Vegas Freestyle Chess OR D Gukesh Pulls Out of Las Vegas Freestyle Chess Citing Exhaustion; Vidit Gujrathi Steps In

The Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is set to continue in Las Vegas, but one notable player will be missing. Despite initial expectations, reigning World Champion D Gukesh will not be participating in the Sin City leg of the tour, scheduled from July 16 to 20.

Pictured from right to left: D Gukesh, Vidit Gujrathi, Arjun Erigaisi, and R Praggnanandhaa.

Freestyle Chess co-founder and CEO Jan Henric Buettner revealed the reason for Gukesh's absence in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com. According to Buettner, Gukesh cited exhaustion as the primary reason for his withdrawal.

"He said he’s exhausted and needs rest," Buettner explained. "His performances have not been that good at any Grand Slam. We were always expecting that he would decline to participate in the next event."

Buettner elaborated on the timeline of events, noting that Gukesh initially intended to participate in the Las Vegas leg despite a less-than-stellar performance in Paris. However, the demanding Norway Chess tournament took a significant toll on the young champion.

"But then, there was Norway Chess. This exhausted him so much. Even I would be exhausted," Buettner stated. "He was so exhausted that I got a message. He said he's exhausted and would like to rest. He can't come to Las Vegas. Unfortunately, he needs rest. So, you know, that's understandable."

Vidit Gujrathi has been formally included in the line-up as Gukesh's replacement. "So we invited Vidit again as a replacement. So Vidit will wear the red jacket of Gukesh this time in Vegas," Buettner confirmed.

In Freestyle Chess, players often sport distinctively colored jackets.

Gukesh's withdrawal comes as he seeks to find consistency on the Freestyle Chess circuit. After finishing eighth at Weissenhaus and eleventh in Paris, he held the eleventh overall position with just four FCC points, later dropping to sixteenth place after the Grenke Open.

Despite these results, Gukesh demonstrated his capabilities at the Norway Chess tournament, finishing third behind Carlsen and Fabiano Caruana. During the tournament, he also secured victories against the top three FIDE-rated players: Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, and Arjun Erigaisi.

The Las Vegas event, the fourth stop of the 2025 Grand Slam Tour, marks Freestyle Chess’s debut on American soil. The tournament will be held at the Wynn Las Vegas from July 16 to 20. The event will be open to a live audience and feature a prize pool of $750,000, with the winner receiving $200,000.

In related news, the Indian leg of the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam, originally scheduled for September 17–24 in New Delhi, has been cancelled due to a lack of sponsors. Furthermore, Jan Henric Buettner will step down as CEO on July 1, with COO Thomas Harsch assuming the role of overseeing daily operations. Buettner will transition to the position of Executive Chairman, focusing on strategic initiatives.