NEW DELHI: India risks losing the opportunity to host reigning World Chess Champion D Gukesh in the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour due to a lack of investor interest. With no confirmed financial backing, tournament organizers are now considering alternative venues, TimesofIndia.com has learnt.
In an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com ahead of the German leg of the tour, Freestyle Chess co-founder Jan Henric Beuttner has hinted that India could be dropped from the tournament calendar for the 2025 edition.
Currently, the official website lists New Delhi as the host city for the fourth and penultimate leg of the tour. However, Beuttner has made it clear that unless a suitable investor from India steps forward soon, the venue will be changed.
“Delhi is the only tournament we haven’t finalised yet because we are receiving offers from other cities. They are offering hosting fees. If we get a seven or eight-figure offer from another location, of course, we’ll go there,” Beuttner said.
The 2025 Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour is set to begin on February 7 in Weissenhaus, Germany, where the world’s top ten chess players, including World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana and Gukesh, will compete next week.
Following the German leg (February 7-14), the tour will move to Paris (April 8-15), New York (July 17-24), and then — currently — New Delhi (September 17-24), before concluding in Cape Town (December 5-12).
TimesofIndia.com understands that FIDE and Freestyle Chess are in discussions to potentially turn the September leg of the tour into an open tournament.
When asked why India remains listed as the host for the fourth leg, Beuttner explained, “We’ve kept it as a placeholder until we secure an alternative venue.”
He also revealed that he had reached out to Indian business tycoon Anand Mahindra for potential support. “I personally spoke to Anand Mahindra in London, but his focus is on the Global Chess League, and he isn’t currently interested in other chess ventures,” added the German.
As the reigning World Chess Champion, Gukesh, 18, is the only player guaranteed participation across all venues during the tour.
The rest of the tournament roster will see some changes throughout the year, with players qualifying through ELO rankings, wildcard entries, and direct invitations, making it one of the most interesting competitions of the year.